When good becomes bad. There are so many good parts of a person’s life such as their family, job, a new house for the family or even looking forward to a week’s vacation. What happens when those things take a turn for the worse and become bad? I watched a sermon over the weekend and the topic was idolatry which is making something or someone more important than God. Oh, the many ways I could relate.
Growing up I was never “athletic” so to speak. I did play soccer in school until the 7th grade when school became more challenging. When I was in high school, I may have weighed 75 pounds so I took a class called “Strength Training” which is a better way of saying “lifting weights so much you cannot move the next day.”
When I started, I realized how far I had to go and became easily discouraged. What was more frustrating is that after several months it seemed nothing had changed. I remember one day I saw myself in the mirror and there was a little bit of a difference. Even though I was not bench pressing much more than when I started, there was something. This brought on a feeling of accomplishment which is good but over the next few years it bordered on “obsession.” When the good becomes bad.
I went to a college with a really nice gym and I worked out 6 days a week. I worked out so much I had a bad case of tendonitis in my elbow. I wish I could say that I took the hint and eased off, but I did not. In fact, I would take high doses of Tylenol or Advil to make the pain go away making it worse. At the time I took a medication that covered up pain and gave me more energy, so naturally I took more of that too. The problem was that I had put my self-esteem and identify into working out and my case of tendonitis threatened that. I was not willing to take a break as I would not get my “fix” from working out.
In the Bible, 2 Timothy 4:8 says “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Exercise is good, but not to the point of putting your self-esteem and identify into it. Nothing is, except God of course. Do you find yourself letting something like your job, spouse, or something else dictate how you feel about yourself that you are not sure how to let of? Call (704) 458-6298 for a free consultation.
If you are looking for a therapist near you and a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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