Don't you hate it when it feels like you are really listening to God only He's telling you something you don't want to hear?

Temptation arrived today in the form of my subscription to "Fitness" magazine. I subscribed last fall because it was cheap and I enjoy reading it. It's encouraging, informative, and offers some good ideas and workouts. But it certainly has it's downsides too; beyond the poorly clad women there is its constant message that if you do what they say and think like they think you will look like they look.

When it arrived today I was pretty sure that God was telling me to throw it away without opening it. I haven't opened it yet, but I also haven't thrown it away. It looks like it might have some good articles this time and I'm afraid of missing out on a great workout or recipe or tip. And there you have it, "I'm afraid." Pretty good sign right there that my motivations are not of God. It goes back to what I learned about needing to have His vision for my goals in life. Fitness is not bad, but I need to let it look like God wants it to be, not what I want, or what "Fitness" magazine says it should be.

I briefly considered asking someone else to read it for me and tear out anything that might be good. But really, do I think there are any "secrets" to health and exercise that God does not know? So if He thinks I need to know it He can let me know. And in the meantime it's easier to throw my magazine away than to gouge out my eye and throw it away after it reads things that are damaging to my mental health. Right? And sure there's the financial pain of "hey, I paid for that." But really, it was cheap and it would be worth it anyway. Right?

So, it's not really that big of deal, but it will maybe be a tiny step in the right direction, when I do actually obey.

If you will excuse me, I have a trip to the trash can to make.