Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of
Victory is available at amazon.com.
Learn More
|
|
No discipline seems pleasant at
the time, but painful. Later on, however, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews
12:11
|
|
 |
My children are obsessed with computer
games and television. Sometimes they knowingly neglect
schoolwork and household chores to get their daily dose. Last
week my oldest son presented me with a list of the previous
day's homework to sign and return to his teacher. When I asked
to see his completed assignments, he sheepishly unveiled pages
full of sloppy and incomplete work. It was obvious that the
television had received more attention than his homework.
That same day was my middle son's
turn to make lunches for he and his siblings. As they
filed out the door to go to school, my youngest boy complained
that he didn't have anything to take for lunch. When
confronted, Zac informed me that he had been "too busy" to make
lunches that morning, even though he had spent an hour playing
games on the computer.
Needless to say, I snapped. I
unplugged our two television sets, covered the screens with
newspaper and packing tape, and placed a secret password on our
computer. For the entire month of March, no one in our
family will watch television, and computer use will be limited
to homework and the occasional email.
"Does that include the remote?" |
During this season of Lent, many people
are going through the uncomfortable - maybe even painful -
experience of giving up a favorite food or activity as a form of
penance. Coincidentally, the next few weeks will be a
painful experience for my children, but I'm certain that it will
be very rewarding for them in the long run. They will
learn to be more effective in their work to avoid such
discipline in the future, and will spend one entire month
developing more productive habits.
Hey, who am I kidding?
This exercise isn't just for my children. Though maybe not
to the same degree, I will also feel the pain and reap the
benefits of covering up the TV and putting away the computer
games. Maybe it is true that the apple doesn't fall very
far from the tree.
Ask yourself...
- What habits are distracting me
from being my best?
- Am I willing to go through the
pain of giving them up in order to grow?
In love, I wish you a painful March,
with a rich harvest in April and beyond.
Keep running for your prize,
Larry Hehn
PrizeFighter subscribers live in Albania, Argentina, Australia,
Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria,
Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand,
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States!
|
Register for the FREE PrizeFighter Newsletter |
|
|
|
