As long as we’re talking about discipline, I should tell you about the performance of Cirque du Soleil that our son Mark took us to recently. It’s two hours of watching the impossible. For example, men who walk up poles as quickly and naturally as I can walk down the street:

People whose bodies do what bodies aren’t supposed to:

How do they have the freedom to do that? Only through discipline. The fellow in the blue costume above is Kyle Kragle who discovered at an early age that he was more flexible than most people. He’s 26 years old now, and how does he keep working?

As far as keeping his body primed to contort and balance on one hand or foot, he mostly uses his own body weight to train. That looks like lots of pushups, Pilates, and core work, with some light weights and endurance work. “Even though I’m naturally flexible, my track was learning how to control my flexibility…I was doing strength training to make sure my body was stable enough. I’m doing anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half a day just stretching.” – Colorado Springs Gazette, September 1, 2022

In addition to their elite-level skills, these athletes/performers have one more characteristic: they labor in anonymity. There’s something Biblical about that! (Even though I read the article in advance, I would not have associated it and Kyle’s name with the performance if my son hadn’t pointed him out.)

And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not… (Jeremiah 45.5, ESV)

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things…But I discipline my body and keep it under control… (1 Corinthians 9.25, 27, ESV)