When you watch the Olympics over the last few weeks you say way too many abdominal muscles. Yes, the ladies where showing 6 pack abs and flat tummies in almost every sport. That seems to have produced some ab-envy in a lot of women (and men) around the world. In the UK, the demand for liposuction services has greatly increased, and I find this quote recording in the U.K.’s Daily Mail from Donnamarie McBride, owner of LoveLite clinic owner just fascinating:
Since the Olympics started we’ve had a lot of women coming to us with pictures of Jessica Ennis saying they want to have a torso similar to hers, but they have said they need a bit of extra help because they struggle to get down to those levels with just a couple of gym sessions a week. … They all said they wanted to have a tummy like Jessica Ennis and they wanted to have it done as soon as we could fit them in.
Hm, instant abs!
Forget all the work all those Olympians put in to develop and tone those muscles – we want it right now!
And as we know about ourselves, we are the same in our spiritual life. We see those who have great walks with the Creator and we want a relationship like that as well. But we forget all the discipline and effort and work that it takes to establish those deep relationship and the complete surrender it requires. In both instances – the physical work of the Olympic ladies and in the spiritual work of many others – they have given away themselves for their goal.
Lets make sure we put the work in we need to put it in – there is no spiritual liposuction! And the great thing is spiritually, we already have the promise of the Gold, we are actually working and disciplining ourselves because we have won!
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV