I penned this line ten years ago for the first time and almost every January 1st since.
Wow, ten years…? Good thing God is patient. Finally I see differently.
God doesn’t want another new year’s resolution. It’s just my made-up way to perform so I feel like I am pleasing Him. No, God already loves me and is pleased with me (most of the time, at least). However, God does want me to have discipline and in that regard I know taking care of my health and weight are important. But they are not to be the gods of themselves. God is to be the God of Himself. This means God is to be my priority and focus, and practicing discipline in eating can result from having God first.
What does this look like?
Take this morning for instance.
I worked out for a half hour. Check. Then came breakfast. I measured and wrote down my Weight Watchers’ allotment for the day. Check. I packed a baggie of veggies and a bottle of water to have later this morning. Check. Most importantly, though, I sat down and read my Bible, prayed, and gave myself time to be still in God’s presence before I left the house. Check. Check. Check.
Spending time with God is my key to weight loss. It’s how I can know God loves me and has plans for me. It’s the boost to my health, not just spiritual, but my physical and emotional health, too.
How do I know this is important? I recited a memory verse I hadn’t thought about in months:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will always provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
This verse has been my lifeline for many years and is familiar to me. But today I noticed the next verse, too. Check it out:
1 Corinthians 10:14 (NIV)
“Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.”
To me, it was a way of God telling me to make sure my goal of losing weight itself doesn’t become more important than Him. To make sure the Weight Watcher plan isn’t an idol. To make sure my exercise program isn’t an idol. To make sure my own new year’s resolution doesn’t become an idol.
The first and second of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 speak about worshipping only God. If these are the first two of the Ten Most Important Rules written by God Himself, I must have to pay attention, huh? When I am worshipping God, my obedience to Him in discipline and self-control can then follow naturally. It’s not about the “after” photo, it’s about the “after” life. Life with God in eternity where I want to hear Him say “Well done, Lisa.”
Headed to the coffee shop, I knew in advance I'd order only coffee. Those muffins and cookies wouldn’t be a problem for me. At least not for today.
3 comments:
Lisa, thanks for the inspiration! It's been a heavy holiday for me - literally! And I've felt lost with my weight gain and not getting back to living a healthy lifestyle. This gives me a boost!
DonnaGalanti ... thanks for your comment! You're not alone. We all need a boost and reminder it's worth paying attention to our health...physical, emotional and spiritual too. You boost me all the time, so it's a pleasure to have the chance to return the favor.
Thank you for the reminder of perspective.
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