I don't like cleaning the kitchen, but I love a clean kitchen. What is a person to do?

A.   Don't clean the kitchen and leave it dirty

B.   Clean the kitchen and enjoy a clean kitchen

C.   Get somebody else to clean it for me

For me, choice 'A' wasn't an option. Not cleaning the kitchen would mean missing out on the pleasure of a clean kitchen.

Choice 'C' wasn't an option either. Mike and I agreed before we married that I would handle the kitchen and he would handle the laundry. I like doing the laundry even less than cleaning the kitchen! I had no interest in switching chores.

So that left me with option B. How do I get myself to clean the kitchen, even though I don't like it?

Let's look at Jesus' example: "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2)."

This scripture says that Jesus endured the cross' pain and shame for a reason: For the joy set before Him. And what was that joy? The joy was in fulfilling the Father's will and seeing those of us who would accept Him as Savior reconciled to God.

That's what I call the "After-Joy." It is the joy that endures after making a right choice.

Jesus endured the cross' torment for hours, but now He has joy eternal. He sits in honor at the Father's right hand, rejoicing over every sinner who repents! I am so glad He chose the "after-joy" for me. Aren't you?

Back to option B and my kitchen dilemma. I focused on the joy set before me. I saw past the messy kitchen all the way to the finished clean kitchen. As I washed each dish...wiped the counters...swept the floor... I kept visualizing that clean kitchen I wanted.

And guess what? I got it!

This brings me to your health goals. You too have choices.

A.   Don't build good health habits and stay overweight

B.    Build good health habits and enjoy a fitter body

Some people try to make up a C and D option too:

C.   Hate your overweight body, thinking hate will get you fit

D.   Read books about building good health habits, thinking reading alone will get you fit

To show you the futility of C and D, let's go back to my kitchen:

• If I hated my messy kitchen really hard, would that get it clean?
• If I read many books about effective cleaning techniques, would that get it clean?

The answer is 'No' of course! The only way to get a clean kitchen is to appreciate what I have and take steps to clean it.

Hating the messy kitchen would get me nowhere, plus it shows ingratitude for having a kitchen at all. Reading a book about effective cleaning techniques would only be helpful if I put what I learned into practice...while I cleaned it.

Do you have a vision of a fitter body and why you want it? If you see the reward, you will do the work!

What one right choice will you make today so you can start living in the "after-joy"? After-joy certainly feels better than "after-regret"!

Kimberly Taylor

Take Back Your Temple
www.takebackyourtemple.com

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