In Rocky V - one of the least known of the series of films - Rocky has a flashback where he sees himself inside the ring with his trainer, Mickey. It's a great scene; one of my all-time favorites. In the midst of his work, Rocky lowered his arms signifying he was finished, but Mickey quickly shouts, "Hey, I didn't hear no bell!" and Rocky assumes the battle. I think about that scene a lot. Used to be, I'd whisper "I didn't hear no bell" to myself while we destroyed each other in the gym, loading plate after plate for rep after rep. But over the years the scene has grown to mean much more.

We're stoppable. We have God-given abilities with God-given limits. And that's a God-given compliment. What do we do with a compliment God gives us? We accept it. And our response in the form of our highest effort is one of the ways we simply say thank you for the gift of limitation. When was the last time you praised and applauded God for His allowance of your limits? I've said it before, but when we honor Him with our bodies, it's worship. And that worship won't stop until He says the fight is over.

You know, like Rocky - whose time in the ring ended only by the bell - you and I are still in it. We're mixing it up with the best life can throw at us. Finances, relationships, health. And when it comes to our health, even though we do our best to put up our dukes to slip its jab, the physical fight is one we will eventually lose. I know it's a blow to the body, but health is a losing battle. Thankfully,gracefully, our spiritual battle was fought and won only when He said, "It Is finished."

Oh yes. We're stoppable. And if the world hears that as an admission of weakness, they're right. Only, we hear it as applause. From us. 

-Jimmy Peña

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