# A Resilient Life  ## Metadata - Author: [[Gordon MacDonald]] - Full Title: A Resilient Life - Category: #books ## Highlights - The self-discipline of the body is not a popular subject today. And the Christian community, which should be leading the way in the care and discipline of the body, leaves much to be desired. We are a people who want to be taken seriously in terms of our opinions regarding the sanctity of life, but we are, I’m afraid, rather choosy about what we think that means. Much too often in such situations I find myself talking with people who are seriously overweight, who admit to ([Location 2686](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000SHL3Z6&location=2686)) - sloppy eating habits and to rest patterns that make no sense whatsoever. Imagine a conversation like this: “Do you respect yourself?” “Respect myself? . . . I’m not sure. Why do you ask?” “Are you sure you want to talk about this?” “Yeah, I’m sure.” “Well, I’m noting the way you appear to take care of your body. It tells me that you enjoy eating more than you enjoy taking good care of yourself. My impression is that a part of you that wants to eat is speaking louder than a part of you that desires to be healthy and vital. Why do you think that is?” “I’m not sure I know the answer.” “What do you do each day to keep yourself in shape?” “Well, I’ve been thinking that I’ve got to get into an exercise program.” “When do you think that might start?” ([Location 2690](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000SHL3Z6&location=2690)) - “When I’m not so busy.” “My bet is that you probably are struggling with your spiritual disciplines, aren’t you?” “Umm . . . yeah.” “You got room for a couple more cheap shots? How are you doing in the disciplines of spending money? Any struggles with sexual temptation?” Usually, not always, there are connections, and the other person in this conversation finally acknowledges that large parts of his or her life are out of control. A reader will be excused if he or she thinks that this is a long series of assumptions built merely on the basis of poor eating habits. But the fact is that there are usually connections all across the board. One breakdown in self-mastery leads to others. Result? A diminution of resilience. This is why I have become convinced that the road to self-mastery begins with what I do with my body. ([Location 2700](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000SHL3Z6&location=2700)) - Henri Nouwen was thinking about this when he said, “Most Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships and have opted for power and control instead. Many Christian empire-builders have been people unable to give and receive love.”1 ([Location 3316](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B000SHL3Z6&location=3316))