“I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I
have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:27
nasb
[A continuation of "Seeking a life in Proper Order"]
According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a guilty
pleasure is “something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of
guilt."
Wikipedia concurs but adds, “The ‘guilt’ involved is
sometimes simply fear of others discovering one’s lowbrow or otherwise
embarrassing tastes. Fashion, video games, music, movies, and junk food can be
examples of guilty pleasures.”
My guilty pleasure makes no sense. I enjoy walking yet feel
guilty for doing it.
It’s not sinful, bad for me, or in anyway embarrassing. No
one judges me for doing it. Why do I feel guilty for it?
Answer: It takes time away from me doing something like a
duty or chore. The guilt comes from the lies of Satan convincing me the time it
takes to walk is time away from something beneficial to others—as if anything
beneficial to me is sinful.
When I walk, I think, pray, or plan. I enjoy the fresh air,
the view, and listening to the birds’ songs. This morning I saw a doe and her
fawn. Walking relieves tension. It increases the endorphins—the anti-stress,
feel-good hormones—which reduce my depression. It strengthens and enables my
body to serve the Lord. And, the more frequently I walk, the less I want to
eat.
It is not a
waste of thirty minutes or an hour. It fulfills a need in me.
So, today, I’ve decided to prohibit guilty thoughts for
walking.
Do you like to go for walks?
Would you like to walk with me? I know we can’t literally
walk side-by-side, but I’m thinking about starting a walking club. Would you
join? We could set personal weekly or monthly goals for miles or minutes, and
then share them with one another as an encouragement.
Leave a comment if you’d like to join me on that walk.
[Now, about those guilty pleasures; I do have some I’d
rather not share with you. They are bad habits and time wasters which I’d
rather no one knew about.]
Merrie, I WISH my guilty pleasure was walking. I do feel guilty for saying "no" to my family for any amount of time to myself. So, I'll join you in the effort to prohibit such guilty feelings for things that are good and sometimes necessary for my mental health. Blessings! Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteAngela
Isn't amazing how a guilty pleasure can be good for us. I think the key is not letting my/our pleasures get out of hand...take too much of our time. Balance. Thanks for stopping by!
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