It's Good for You

Take your vitamins.

Eat your vegetables.

Brush your teeth.

Do your homework.

As a mom, I ask my kids to do things they don't like to do because it's good for them.

Well, I got a taste of my own medicine.

I have just stepped in as a trainer for the Celebrate Recovery ministry at our church. This ministry is not just for addicts; it's for anyone who has hurts, habits, or hang-ups. (That includes pretty much everyone, doesn't it?)

As a leader, I was asked to write my testimony. If I was asked to give a 3-minute testimony, it would have been easy, but a 20-minute life story?! No, thanks.

The time I put into writing my testimony was excruciating. I would much rather have been reading a book. However, once I got it down on paper, I came to a realization that blew me away: God has brought me a LONG way!

The hurts I had experienced at a young age stunted my emotional growth. I did not know how to cope with the difficulties of life in a healthy, constructive way.

Looking back, I see clearly how God healed my heart and taught me how to have healthy relationships.

While it certainly wasn't an enjoyable activity, writing my testimony was good for me.

Better than the vitamins strengthening my body, the process strengthened my faith in God's healing power.

Better than the cleansing that vegetables bring to our bodies was the cleansing God gave me from the baggage I had been carrying around from past hurts.

Better than the smooth feeling of brushed teeth is the feeling of freedom in Christ from the weight of guilt and condemnation.

Better than the knowledge gained from homework is the knowledge of God's grace and mercy learned in the trenches of pain and suffering.

So I guess I should listen to what I'm trying to teach my kids more often.

Sometimes we need to do things we don't want to do because they're good for us.