Sabbath Rest 6

Matthew 27:50-51 “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in town, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart.” NLT

Much of my life was spent feeling like an outsider. I was younger than the other kids in my neighborhood, and while I desperately tried to keep up, I was just smaller. As I grew older, I was always a little different. My artsy, introverted personality kept me from making many friends, and as I grew into adulthood, my classification as a woman clergy automatically labeled me as “different.” In mind though, I just thought I was on the outside because I was obese. The theme throughout all of those circumstances, though, was that I was an outsider. People were generally nice to me, and things weren’t all bad, but most of the time, I just wanted to blend into the wall. To this very day, I don’t enjoy calling attention to myself, which makes preaching pretty tricky. There are still times that I think to myself in the middle of a sermon, “These people are looking directly at me!”

The account of the death of Jesus as recorded in Matthew tells that at the moment Jesus releases His Spirit, the veil of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. In short, this veil that it speaks of served as the barrier between the Holy of Holies, the place where the Spirit of God dwelt, and the place where the Israelites worshipped. This curtain’s ripping from top to bottom was important because no one but God could’ve done that. And secondly, we realize that now we have access to worship Him, in His very presence. Now we can go into the Holy of Holies and make our own petitions known. When the Temple veil was ripped, we knew that Jesus is our High Priest, who has made the final and ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We gained the right to worship, and we are no longer outsiders. He accepts us, just as we are because we have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus.

As we face another week, let’s remember that because of Jesus, we don’t have to feel that we are outsiders, alone, or less-than-desirable. His sacrifice opened the door for us to be able to worship, in the presence of Almighty God. He accepts us, and He makes us worthy.

What characteristics have you used to label yourself in the past? Whether they’re good or bad, think more of what God thinks of you. Chosen, loved, saved, creation, child...all of these are what Jesus made us by dying on the cross and defeating the grave.

Encouragement for Today

Hebrews 13:15 “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” NLT

Ephesians 1:4-5 “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” ESV

Stress

Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” NLT

About the time I was winding down my weight-loss journey with only 10 pounds to go, my husband was transferred with his job out of state. We were moving 400 miles away, and we had to find a house, buy it, wrap up our jobs, say goodbye to strong friendships, and move, all within 4 weeks. It was stressful to say the least, especially considering our mortgage lender and our realtor’s staff seemed not too concerned with our tight deadline. What was quickly promised as “totally doable” when we communicated our moving date, suddenly was “highly unlikely,” the closer our date came. Every day, and sometimes multiple times a day, during that four weeks, I had to call the lender and the realtor to find out where we were in the process. And sure enough, when the day came to load the moving truck, we still weren’t sure of the exact closing date. We were driving our entire lives across that 400 miles with what was actually, nowhere to go. We were homeless. The closing date came and passed without signed papers, and I was stressed to the max. We ended up closing two days late, and I was livid. Everything we owned sat in a truck in my parents driveway for days until we signed those papers.

During that time, I gained 5 pounds. What was supposed to be a very delicate time of losing the last 10, ended up stress-filled. Even though I closely monitored my activity and nutrition, it was to no avail. The stress hormone had won, and I was its culprit. Stress keeps us from losing weight can actually cause us to gain it.

As a very high-strung person, stress is my weakness. I always feel like I have broad shoulders, and I can handle most problems myself. That personality trait tends though to harm me and actually, hinder my relationship with Jesus. He desires to handle our stress for us, but when we refuse to let it go, it does nothing but hurt us.

In this section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he addresses a small conflict that has arisen in the church. He encourages them to work through their disagreement and to allow God to free them from their worry. We must rejoice, he says and to be full of the joy of the Lord. Further, he says not to worry, pray, and be thankful. There it is. It’s the formula for less-stress living. 

Troubles arise, and there are seasons of life that natural stress bringers. Any change in life whatsoever can bring about stress, even in small amounts. But God doesn’t want us to live this way, and He can alleviate it, if we give it to Him. God loves us, His children, and doesn’t want us to worry about anything. He cares about our needs and invites us to talk to Him about everything.

What’s troubling you today? What causes stress in your life? Take some time to read through this chapter and pray about those things. He can handle them!

Encouragement for Today

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” NLT

Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. he will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” NLT

J-O-Y

John 15:11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” NLT

During this past Christmas season, I was tasked with creating a window display for our store. Part of that display included the letters “J-O-Y,” cascading down an old ladder. I bought the 9” paper mache letters and brought them home to spray paint them red. I didn’t want to just lay them in the grass to paint them because I just knew that dead grass sprigs would get caught in the wet paint. So I laid them on our concrete driveway, confident that any residual paint would wash away when the winter rains/ice came in the new year. 

That very day that I painted those letters, my husband came home to find “J-O-Y” outlined on the driveway. He said he knew instantly what I was doing but wished I might’ve used a cardboard box or something as a backdrop. I wished I had too. I was still optimistic about it eventually washing away, but to my dismay, it’s still there as bold as it was the day I painted it. 

But I have to say that what I once saw as something unsightly, I now see as a daily reminder. Every day when I leave for work, I see JOY, a reminder of what God has done in my life. And every day when I come home from work, I see JOY, a reminder that nothing can wash away my joy.

John records in his Gospel, the words of Christ about loving one another. Jesus states very plainly that if we simply love Him and one another, our joy will be full, overflowing to be exact. It’s interesting to me that Jesus basically says that our joy is dependent upon how we love Him and one another, and He even uses Himself as the example. Just as Christ has love us, and gave His life for us, we are also to love one another. Our love for one another is not dependent upon how others treat us. It’s dependent upon how we treat others, and how we share His love with them. And how we love Jesus...well, we must simply obey Him. How much easier could it be?

In modern times, we may sometimes confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is circumstantial, dependent upon the happenings in our lives. Joy is the knowledge of the abiding presence of God. I don’t know about you, but I choose joy over happiness any day. When hard days come, and it seems like there’s no end in sight, happiness fades, and washes away. Joy is still there. The assurance of knowing that He is with us is a comforting peace that supersedes anything we may be facing.

Do you have joy in your heart? The Scripture says to remain in Him, the true Vine, and He will cause you to bear fruit, His joy.

Encouragement for Today
James 1:2-4 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” NLT

John 16:24 “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” NLT

How to Tone the Strongest Muscle in the Body

James 3:6 “And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. it can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”

“Why did I say that,” I cried to myself as I drove home that day. My boss had lit a fire under me with just one comment, and that was all it took for me to spew pent-up frustration. “Do I do anything right,” I said? He looked like I had slapped him, but he quickly recovered. He went on to explain how I had to have been the person to do a task wrong because everyone else had done it correctly before. Therefore, by his reasoning, it had to be me. It wasn’t me, but he wasn’t budging. I honestly don’t know why I felt the need to defend myself that day, but he was wrong! And he had to know it! The months of his nit-picking, in my mind, had built up such resentment in me. 

As I drove home that day, I rehashed and rehashed the heated conversation in my mind. He said this. Then I said that. I can’t believe he would say that! Over and over it went. When I got home, I really didn’t want to talk about it. I was exhausted from the emotional turmoil, but my husband deserved an answer as to why I was in such a state. And so I told him. He said this. I said that. And I went through the whole ugly story again. 

I was ashamed. While nothing I said was untrue or unkind, it sure was forceful. It was loud. And I couldn’t stop. I knew that I was treading on thin ice and bordering on insubordination, but I couldn’t stop. Why couldn’t I control my tongue? 

My mouth has gotten me in more trouble that I would ever care to recount. It’s got me in some harrowing situations and has been the cause of my crawling back to wounded friends with shameful apologies. 

I’m so glad that James tackles this subject in his letter to Jewish Christians because I for one, need to read it. James is concerned with how they speak to one another, as it influences their relationships. He says the tongue, in a sense, acts as it own agent; however, it impacts every area of our lives. While it is one of the strongest muscles in our bodies, it’s also in a way, the weakest. We’re unable to control it. One gets the point when they’re reading through this section that it’s hopeless to even try and tame it. But it’s not. James is simply painting a picture of how dangerous our speech is and how it can do more damage sometimes than physical destruction. We can’t take words back. And we can’t undo the damage that’s been done once it occurs.

Further, our well can’t have two buckets. As James says in v. 11, “Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?” We can’t fix it. But the Holy Spirit can. If he lives in us, out of us can flow fresh, clean, nourishing water. We don’t have to hold in the bitter water that constantly threatens to spill over. As the old saying goes, “When your cup is bumped, what spills over?”

How do you handle it when you face conflicts with others? Do others know you as a loose cannon? Do you want fresh water to freely flow from you, giving praise to God constantly?

Encouragement for Today

1 Peter 3:9 “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.” NLT

Proverbs 21:23 “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” NLT

Celebrate

Psalm 126:2 “We are filled with laughter and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.’” NLT

A woman from my neighborhood was trying to lose weight too. We’d initially talked over our goals with one another, and she’d decided that she too would set short-term attainable goals. But she decided that at every 10 pound weight loss, she would celebrate with an all-out cheat day. Whatever she wanted, donuts, french fries, or ice cream..it was her’s. She reasoned that she wouldn’t have a weekly cheat meal, but after a ten pound weight loss, she deserved it, right? 

After her first ten pound weight loss, she held her much-anticipated cheat day. She had planned for two weeks what she would eat, and she enjoyed every bite. Unfortunately, the next day when she stepped back on the scale, she had gained three pounds. Although, she quickly lost those three pounds, it took longer to lose the next 20 pounds. She decided that to celebrate this victory, she would simply have 1 cheat meal. She enjoyed this meal too. But unfortunately, the next day when she stepped on the scale, she had gained weight again. After her third 10 pound weight loss, she decided that she’d choose a healthier way to celebrate. 

When the Lord rescued Israel from exile and brought them back home, they celebrated! It closely mirrored the rescue of God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. The radical change that had taken place for them turned them from crying and weeping to rejoicing and laughter. There was certainly reason to celebrate! The Lord had done great things for them, and they couldn’t help but express their joy. The Psalmist goes onto record their prayer that God would restore their fortunes as they “plant in tears” but will harvest “with shouts of joy.” 

As we think of our spiritual lives, there will be times of weeping as it seems as though we are in exile. Troubles come, storms rage, and it seems as though God is absent. It is in those times though that we press in closer to God, crying out in faith that He is there, even when it doesn’t seem so. In time, the storms will clear, the sun will come out, and we will rejoice that He has brought a season of harvest.

It’s hard too when we transform our physical lives. Changes in any way are a hard adjustment, but physical ones may seen unnatural and awkward. We too may “plant in tears,” but we have the hope that we will harvest “with shouts of joy.” Celebrations are tricky. It’s true that in biblical times, celebrations often included feasts, but they also included other forms of merriment. Dancing, singing, and fellowship were all common in praising God for the blessings they enjoyed.

When we reach weight loss goals, we should celebrate, but there are healthy ways to do it! And we must remember who gave us the strength to achieve our goal! We must praise and thank Him first of all, for leading and guiding us every step of the way. Secondly, we must be reminded that a transformed life doesn’t celebrate a change by resorting to old ways.  An alcoholic certainly wouldn’t celebrate sobriety by having a drink to celebrate. What makes perfect sense in our old way of living suddenly seems odd when we are transformed.

Think of ways you can celebrate the victories God has given you. For me, I celebrated weight loss goals by rewarding myself by buying a new outfit or going on a weekend biking trip with my family. In whatever way you give praise and thanks to God, make sure it includes healthy shouts of joy!

Encouragement for Today

Ecclesiastes 3:4 “A time to cry and a time to laugh, A time to grieve and a time to dance.” NLT

Ideas for Healthy Celebrations

-New Outfit

-New Hairdo

-Physically Active Outing like skating, biking, bowling, golfing, swimming

-New Fitbit or other Digital Heart Rate Monitor

-New Piece of Fitness Equipment

-Sign up for that fitness class you’ve been wanting to try

-Enjoy a expensive dinner but choose healthy grilled or baked exotic fish on which you normally wouldn’t splurge.

-Massage

-Manicure or Pedicure

How Having a Healthy Lifestyle Affected My Relationships

Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” NASB

I squirmed nervously in the car seat on the drive that morning. I had lost 45 pounds, and it was the first time this group of people would see me since my transformation began. Lots of congratulatory remarks were sure to be showered on me, but I knew there was one person at least who would take a chance to jab at me. We hadn’t always spoken to each other in that manner, but as I grew as a person, it seemed that our relationship took a nosedive. Sure enough, as soon as I arrived, my physical inspection began. I’m not kidding. We were here to celebrate Christmas, and the last thing I wanted was for our festivities to be centered around my weight-loss. She asked me what size I was in, and noted that certain body parts had “disappeared.” Maybe she thought it was funny and she was happy for me, but it didn’t feel that way to me. It was embarrassing, frustrating, and hurtful. Not quite sure how I should respond, I just smiled and didn’t say anything. In fact, I didn’t say anything for months. 

Then a few months later, almost the same scenario happened twice more, and again, I didn’t know how to respond. It seems as though no conversation can be had anymore without that subject being brought up. I just wish things would go back to normal, and she would see me as a normal person. I want a good relationship again, but I’m not sure how that can happen. I do have sneaking suspicions about why things are the way they are, but I’m not sure how to handle them. On some occasions, it seems as though some friends/family have been downright angry at me for changing things. Parties, family get-togethers, and holiday celebrations have changed due to my lifestyle change, and it’s made some people uncomfortable. I had no idea that my food choices would create such chaos for others, but the truth is, they do. My motives are certainly never to make anyone feel bad about themselves but to change my own life. At the end of the day, though, I have to be true to the commitment I’ve made to live a healthy lifestyle.

I’ve often thought of Paul’s verse here throughout my weight loss journey. The church in Galatia has turned away from the Gospel Paul preached and are back to looking to the law to be saved. He’s shocked that they’ve fallen away so quickly. Paul's opponents had criticized him heavily and questioned his authority as an apostle, and he quickly gets to the chase that he serves Christ, not man. 

Be clear that serving Christ will displease many people. In fact, sometimes it seems as though you stand alone. It reminds me of the song, “Though none go with me, still I will follow...” The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you will stand alone. Is He worth it? 

Oh, He is worth it. If no one approves of my decision to follow Christ, it will hurt, and at times it will seem lonely, but He is worth it! There will be hurtful times, but there will be joyful times. The times of loneliness will only be overshadowed by His abiding presence and love.

When we change our lifestyles, sometimes people may get upset, but we have to remember why. What we do affects others, positively or negatively. We can gently encourage others by showing them the joy that serving Jesus brings as well as the perks of living a healthy life. 

When relationships change, rest assured that Jesus doesn’t. Our relationship with Him extends far beyond social gatherings and parties, as He walks with us every day.

Encouragement for Today

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” NIV

Everyday Needs

Mark 8:1-4 “About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, ‘I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” NLT

Every work day of my job began the same. I would drive to the parking lot of my building early on purpose so I would have time to pray before going in. Dread filled me with the knowledge that I would have to face him and hear him rant about how stupid I was every single day. The truth was, he treated everybody that way. There was certainly no favoritism around there. The bad thing about it was that it was a Christian environment. My co-workers and I did our best to maintain the peace and to walk on eggshells around him, but you never quite knew when he would blow. Even in our devotion time, he would use any opportunity to put us down. One time he even held a devotion on respecting authority and prayed over us that we as his employees would “know our place.”  He would start tapping his foot and curling his lip in an annoying way that let everyone know when he was mad. I hated it here, and there was no end to it in sight. But for some reason, God had me here, and I didn’t know why. I still don’t know why to be exact. But I know that every day, God gave me the grace I needed to face him, and He still gives me that same sweet strength to live the life He’s given me.

One day before going into work, I searched the Scriptures for something to hold onto as I worked my shift. Mark 8 was just the nourishment I needed. Jesus is again faced with a large crowd, this time 4000 instead of 5000. Scholars say that these two instances were indeed different ones. All four gospels record the feeding of the 5000 with the 5 loaves of bread and two fish, but only Mark and Matthew record this one. At any rate, at the first feeding, the Scriptures say that Jesus had compassion because the people were like lost sheep without a shepherd. This time, however, Jesus has compassion on them simply because they were hungry. They were physically hungry, and Jesus was concerned. What’s more, they were apparently in the middle of nowhere and had been so for three whole days. There was nowhere to get the food, and the disciples had apparently forgotten that they were in the presence of a miracle-worker who had done far greater miracles than this. Nevertheless, Jesus worked through those doubting disciples to provide for the total needs, both spiritual and physical, of the entire crowd.

Now isn’t that just like Jesus? He’s not just concerned about our spiritual needs, although this is incredibly important. He’s concerned about our every day, physical needs too. There is nothing too big for God to handle, and there is nothing too small for Him either. He cares whether or not we’re nourished and healthy or whether we’re lifeless and dull, burdened down with unhealthy environments or food. 

As it relates to health, I think God is keenly interested in how we fuel our body, His creation, for the day. If we are truly nourished with good things, we will be better equipped to handle stressful situations, even those involving others who label themselves as a Christian but live another way. It's not always our overall health that is His focus. We must equip ourselves to face every single day with good nutrition.

As it relates to our spiritual life, Jesus is still the Messiah who has compassion on us and who will nourish us with His presence and His love. No matter what/who we face, we can rest with assurance that He is still the same compassionate Shepherd who feels our pain. He understands, and He cares.

Take some time today to read the entire chapter and marvel again at how good our God is and has compassion for our every day needs.

Encouragement for Today:
Mark 5:43 “Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.” NLT

Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of heaven is given to them.” NLT

How to Lose Weight on Vacation

Psalm 121:8 “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” NLT

We were going to Disney World. Ahhh!!!! I was definitely excited, but I was also definitely nervous. I’d been to Disney World before, and the highlight of that trip had been the food. If you’ve never been, the food there is not your typical theme park food. There are professional chefs at all of the restaurants, and we were on the dining plan! That meant that we could eat to our heart’s content. There were no limits. And what’s more, I am frugal. Having paid so much money, I only felt it reasonable to eat what we had paid for. What would I do? This was my first vacation trip and I was very apprehensive about how I would balance my frugality with my healthy eating habits.

Preparation was key. Once again, I went online to find out as much information as possible on the restaurants we would be visiting. I planned my meals, my snacks, and lucky for me, there are plenty of healthy options at Disney World. I also wore a pedometer, so that I could accurately log my activity and ensure that I was on track with my nutrition. The only setback was that we were flying, and extended travel always makes me retain water. That wasn’t a big deal as I would lose that added weight once we got home.

We did go on our trip, and magically (just like Disney), I managed to lose 3 pounds while we were on vacation! I couldn’t believe it myself. It was possible, and it definitely is doable. 

While there are definite challenges to eating healthy while on vacation and traveling in general, it is absolutely possible. With a little preparation and a lot of careful choosing, you can stick to a healthy diet. What’s more, when you eat healthy food, you feel better and have more energy to do all of the fun things that you’ve planned.

The Psalmist here uses word pictures to assure the pilgrims spoken of here of the Lord’s presence with them. Their help comes from the Lord, the one who created the heavens and the earth, as well as us, His people. He watches over them and every move they make, especially in times of trouble. The Creator stands beside them, guarding them forever.

It’s a beautiful Psalm, full of compassion, love, and care for Israel. It’s the same compassion, love, and care that God feels for all of us too. He cares about every move we make, our protection, our health, and even our choices we make. If we let Him, He will stand beside us, guarding us even from temptation and trouble.

Do you trust Him to take care of you and to keep you healthy even when everyone else would tell you it’s okay to make bad choices? How serious are you about changing your life? Will you allow Him to guard you?

Read through the entire Psalm today. You’ll be glad you did.

Psalm 91:11 “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” NLT

Psalm 139:9-10 “If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” NLT

Why Reward Meals Really Aren't Rewarding

James 4:17 “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” NLT

“When is your cheat day,” someone asked me in the middle of my weight-loss journey. I didn’t know what they were talking about so I inquired further. Apparently, lots of fad diets boast about the once-a-week “cheat” meal or “rewards” meal. After talking about it a little more, I decided that I would indulge. After all, I’d been at this for months, and I hadn’t stepped out of line at all. I deserved it, and I had missed a whole lot of cheat meals. What would one meal hurt? So I loaded up the family, and we went out for Italian food. Chicken Scampi was on my menu for the evening, and I didn’t stop until I’d had the delicious breadsticks, two of them to be exact. It was so good. But in the back of my mind, I had this nagging feeling of guilt like I’d committed adultery or something. The food was good, but I felt horrible. I couldn’t even enjoy my hard earned “cheat.” Over the course of my weight-loss journey, I’ve had a few episodes like that. The food was great, but inside, I didn’t even enjoy it. And I sure didn’t enjoy it the next day when I stepped on the scale and had gained 2 pounds! 2 pounds! Really?!? From one meal? There’s no way I had consumed that many calories! When I looked up the nutrition, I had eaten a little over 1600 calories that meal. That was more than the calorie count I allotted for a typical day! 

After several occasions just like the one described above, I realized that the struggle I felt during and after my hard-earned “rewards” meal just wasn’t worth it. It took two extra days just to get back to where I was before I ate the one meal, and after having a ton of carbs or sugar, I struggled with temptation all the more. For me, I decided that cheating was too hard. There really was no reward involved.

Just like my cheat meals, James warns his readers about doing things contrary to what they know to be right. It just isn’t worth it, in fact, it is sin. There’s no getting around it. Sin separates us from God, and as Christians, that should be the last thing we would want. Temptation is so hard, but James gives us a way to deal with it. Earlier in this chapter, in verse 7 he says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” 

Many people think that in order to battle temptation in weight loss, one must indulge but just a little. Their reasoning is that if you want a cookie, go ahead and eat the cookie so as to avoid eating two later. My suggestion is to find an alternative and turn to God. We’ve already established that no temptation is too great for God, and now we read in James that if we resist the devil, he will flee! I think the point just boils down to whom we want to please. Do we want to please our flesh? Or do we want to please God?

Do you indulge in cheat meals? What is the struggle like after you’ve indulged? Is it worth it or would you be better off living a healthy lifestyle in total completion?

Read through James 4 and find encouragement from his instructions. 

Galatians 6:7-8 “Don’t be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” NLT

Proverbs 11:3 “Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.” NLT

Internal Thoughts

Philippians 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” NLT

I’ll never lose this weight. I just wasn’t meant to be thin. It’s genetic, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just not good enough. If I had more faith, this would be a breeze. I’m just a failure, and that’s all there is to it. Who am I kidding? People will just think I’m trying to be something I’m not.

All of these thoughts ran through my head on a daily basis. If I’m honest, I’ll admit that they still run through my head from time to time. I heard a pastor say one time, “God convicts; Satan condemns.” That quote has changed my entire thinking process when it comes to myself. The bad thoughts that come to mind when I’m feeling down are only whispered to me by Satan, but I choose whether or not to believe them.

See, Satan is the author of lies. Therefore, whatever he says to us, we can be sure, is a lie. Jesus, however, speaks truth, life, love. How do we know the difference? When Jesus speaks critically in our lives, it’s out of love and always offers a solution and an offer of forgiveness. When Satan speaks critically in our lives, the message is always ultimate failure and leads to depression and even death.

In this chapter of Philippians, Paul is closing his letter but offers them this encouragement. He says that if they give up worrying, pray about all things, they will experience true peace. Therefore, he says, to think about things that are good. 

Our thought process drastically affect us. I believe that the trail of my thoughts affects how I make decisions, how I treat others, and ultimately, my relationship with Him. If I’m not careful, my joy is stolen, my peace is gone, and I’m filled with anxiety. But Jesus offers peace, contentment, and fulfillment. How I longed for a life with those things...in every area of my life. He brings them all! And He wants you to see yourself just as He sees you, with love.

When it comes to my physical fitness, I’m still a little awkward. I don’t have as much coordination as others do, I can easily get embarrassed and frustrated. But I have to keep my focus on the purpose of my exercise. And I have to keep my focus on being as healthy as I can possibly be so that I can serve Him longer.

What are your internal thoughts about yourself? Do you see yourself as God sees you? Read the entire chapter of Philippians and remember what encouragement that Christ gives us.

Encouragement for Today

Titus 3:10 “If anyone is causing divisions among you, give a first and a second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with that person.” NLT

2 Corinthians 10:5 “With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.” NLT

Discipline

Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” NLT

I use coupons like a mad woman. If fact, I’ve held a few couponing seminars to teach others the methods that have proven effective for saving my family thousands of dollars a year. Some call me a cheap skate. I call myself smart. Coupons are a wonderful way to save money, and to me, it’s totally worth it. At one point, I was saving my family over $500 a month just by spending about 4 hours a week working on my strategies and plans. 

But there’s a catch. You can’t stop. When you first start, you don’t save as much because your bank of coupons/rebates have to get stocked. There’s not as many coupons in your stash as when you’ve been collecting them for a few weeks. If you miss a week of the Sunday inserts, you’ve messed up, and it’s sort of like starting over. Missing just one week of those precious legal counterfeit dollars is detrimental to your success. And it’s crucial that you are disciplined. If you just toss them all in an envelope and race off to the store, you will find yourself in a mess. Hours have to be spent preparing your plan, making lists, and reading coupon blogs in order to see the best deals. You may save some money with this method, but you will in no way see the same results as someone who has put in the time to prepare for shopping trip.

The author of Hebrews speaks in chapter 12 of God’s Loving Discipline. I was shocked to learn that there are at least eight definitions for the word “discipline.” While it can be used as both a noun and a verb, the indication is that discipline is used to make us better. Leading a disciplined life, receiving discipline in the form of punishment, and disciplining ourselves to learn a new skill all point to bettering ourselves for something else to come. It’s important, and the Bible speaks very clearly that discipline is a good thing, although painful. But Hebrews’s author is clear. The purpose of discipline is to make us more like Him. And it brings about a “peaceful harvest of right living.” Isn’t that a beautiful term? 

When we are lazy and unintentional in our spiritual lives, we need to expect the same results. Not devoting our time to prayer, Bible Study, and worship will only lead to a relationship that is stale and lacking in fervor. Where our time is spent will become the treasure of our hearts. 

Likewise, healthy living requires discipline. If we are intentional in our nutrition and exercise, we will see a healthy body. But if we are lazy and sloppy in taking care of His Temple, we will only see likewise results. Only exercising occasionally will not help if we are not disciplined in our routines. Slipping in junk food also does detriment to the good that we are trying to do when we prepare healthy food. But the painful discipline that we adhere to will only produce a wonderful harvest if we only persevere.

Do you need to cultivate discipline? The Scripture says that He will help us if we seek it. The Bible also says that discipline is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. 

Encouragement for Today

Proverbs 3:11-12 “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.” NLT

Proverbs 25:28 “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” NLT

Proverbs 12:1 “To learn, you must love discipline, it is stupid to hate correction.” NLT

1 Corinthians 9:27a “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should...” NLT

Satisfaction

Psalm 107: 6-9 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” NLT

Every day was cause for celebration, and everyday was cause for grief. One would think that if they knew my eating habits before. Judging by what I consumed, I was either celebrating or grieving...every. single. day. I ate when I was glad, sad, mad, proud, angry, hurt, happy, and bored. Bored. Most of it was boredom. Some of it was recreation. Parts of it was just to drawn the problems away by distracting myself with food. I have eaten to the point of pain on several occasions, and I never could get a handle on it. Another problem is that I’m a pretty decent cook and prided myself on making true southern dishes from scratch. Biscuits, gravy, chicken and dumplings, fried pork chops, fried squash, homemade mashed potatoes, and if I happened to be tired one night...fried bologna. You get the idea. Not only was the food unhealthy, but the portions were bad too. What’s more, I would even eat stuff that I didn’t even like. I don’t like chocolate, yet, on the very day that I realized that I had to change, I was eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. 

I hope all of this hasn’t made you hungry but see the common thread here. Self-destruction seemed to be my end game. From the outside looking in, others saw a strong independent woman that served God. Parts of that statement were true. I am strong, independent, and I served God, but there’s more to my story. Way more. Inside I was a scared, frightened, embarrassed, lonely little girl that had been rejected by far too many people that claimed to love God too. They didn’t like me, and quite honestly, I didn’t like me either.

Like the Psalmist here, I cried to the Lord in true distress. He alone would have to help me. “Lord, help!” I cried too. And like Israel, He rescued me. He led me to safety. What I had always classified as a physical problem was actually a spiritual one. The physical aspect of my life was just a symptom of what was really going on spiritually. I felt that if other Christians couldn’t love me, then I must be unlovable, and therefore, God must not take much stock in me either. I wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, but in my despair, that’s how I truly felt. I was unlovable. Even in my service to Him, I always felt that I had to apologize to certain groups just because of my calling and my gender. It was only when I allowed God to take total control of my life that He satisfied my thirst and filled me with good things...both spiritually and physically. I no longer turn to food for comfort. I turn to Him. He has truly delivered me from my distress. And I will praise the Lord for His great love and the wonderful things He has done for me.

When we turn to anything or anyone else other than God for comfort and fulfillment, we will always come up empty. And when we turn to anyone or anything other than God to soothe our souls and find satisfaction, we will only find death and destruction. 

As I do my best to live a healthy life, I remind myself that it is only in Christ that I will find true satisfaction. Cravings are hard. But God is good. When I’m hungry, I eat healthy food. When I’m bored, I read His word. When I feel rejected by other people, I turn to the one who always accepts me.

What about you? Where do you turn for comfort and satisfaction? Do you separate your physical life from your spiritual relationship with God? He created our bodies, and He loves us extravagantly. Let Him fill you with good things!

Encouragement for Today

John 6:35 “Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” NLT

A Commitment is Not Enough

Galatians 6:7-9 “Don’t be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” NLT

The commitment was there, but the eagerness...not so much. Every morning, I arose and laced up my sneakers to work out, and I completed it. But I didn’t really want to. In fact, a year went by before I became fully eager to embrace my new lifestyle wholeheartedly. That’s the truth. It was a year. The results, however, those I was eager to reap. 

Today, if I must miss a day of working out, outside of my typical day off, I miss it. Working out has become a sort of therapy for me, working off stress, and working through things that I’m sure to face in the day ahead. I don’t like missing a day because I feel out of sorts when I do.

We turn to Galatians 6 where Paul is exhorting them regarding hard work. In our culture, we believe in the American dream and that with hard work, anything is possible. The sky’s the limit, and the Bible also teaches the same thing. We can truly accomplish anything with God’s strength and by working for it. 

Paul assures them that they will reap a harvest of exactly the thing they have planted. We don’t plant apple seeds and harvest oranges. We pick the fruit of the tree we have planted. Paul further urges them to live to please the Spirit rather than simply doing whatever we wish, pleasing the flesh. When we live to please self, our harvest is decay and death. But when we live to please the Spirit, we inherit everlasting life! Paul then goes a little further by encouraging them, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good...” (v. 9). 

While commitment will take us a long way, it cannot take us forever. Spiritually speaking,  our love for God is what pushes us further into a deeper relationship with Him. We must grow into an eagerness to love Him, to pray to Him, and to serve Him. 

As we press on in our commitment to working out and eating healthy, at some point we’re going to tired of it and get bored. The nostalgia of laziness and fat-laden food will creep back in eventually. But remember, we harvest what we plant. The day I embraced that this journey was for life, those torturous thoughts stopped. As we live healthy lifestyles in a culture that loves the unhealthy, we may be tempted too easily and fall away if we rely solely on our commitment. At some point, as growth occurs, we must become eager to embrace all that it entails. 

How about you? Are you eager? Have you grown further than commitment to embrace a healthy lifestyle and all it involves? Lean on Him. He will help you fulfill your commitment but to fall in love with pleasing Him! And in due time, you will reap a bountiful harvest.

Encouragement for Today

2 Corinthians 8:11 “Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.” NLT

Acts 17:11 “And the people of Bereawere more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” NLT

Failure

Proverbs 24:16 “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” NLT

Everything I’ve ever been good at, I’ve had to work extremely hard to conquer. I’m a failure. It’s true. I’ve failed at it all. I wish that my failures had been great learning moments. I wish they hadn’t been so sloppy, so ugly, so dramatic, but the truth is, I didn’t take failure very graciously. When I fail, I fall hard...very hard. Anger, tears, and frustration blow up and threaten to blow away any poor soul that happens to be in my path at that moment. 

That’s why the first day I tried to ride my bicycle on the bike trail was so hard. For starters, it was at the end of June, and it was hot. Strike one. Secondly, there was a little incline coming back. Strike two. Going down it was a breeze, literally, going down hills on a bike is glorious! It’s the coming back up part that stinks. My family had been riding a whole 15 minutes when we decided to turn around and go back to the house. Everything was going okay. I was determined to make it, marking 30 minutes of bike riding down on my activity log. And then I saw the incline (not even really a hill) looming before me. Already sweating, drops trickled in my eyes, and it stung. My legs were like rubber bands, gasping for air, I was determined that I would. not. quit. It wasn’t going to happen. I was going to make it up this hill, and I would be victorious. Half the battle was mental, right? And I was going. to. make. it. But I didn’t make it. I was about 3/4 of the way up when the nausea took over, and it was out of my control. Strike three. There was nothing I could do. I sat there on the side of the bike trail in the tall grass, so frustrated and embarrassed. “How many people saw that,” was the first thing I said to my husband when he got to where I was kneeling. He assured me that it didn’t matter who saw it, but it sure mattered to me! I recovered a little, walked the rest of the way up the hill, and then rode my bike on the flat part of the road back to our house. When would my new strength take over and my weakness end? I had failed. Again.

In these few verses of Proverbs, the writer gives us a bit of wisdom. Everybody fails from time to time. What separates us from others is how we handle that failure. The godly won’t allow a setback to keep them down, while the ungodly only need one difficulty to knock them out. Just like fitness, times will come in our spiritual lives that threaten to knock us down. The test is whether we will get back up and keep going. The writer of Proverbs uses “seven times” in this verse to represent the many times that a person must rebound from difficulties in life. Times like these will come, be sure of that, but we must keep pressing on.

Have you failed yet? I’m sorry to put that question so bluntly, but we sure that it’s going to happen. I’m not saying to go looking for failure, but don’t be so hard on yourself when it does. Embrace the experience, learn all you can, and get back up. 

Encouragement for Today

Psalm 73:26 “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow wek, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”  NLT

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” NLT

Dining Out

Proverbs 23:1-3 “While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you. If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat.; don’t desire all the delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you.” NLT

After a few weeks of healthy living, the point came where my family was going to have to go out to eat. I had avoided this at all costs so far, because the thought of not being able to totally control my food selection was scary to me. And what was more, I wasn’t even able to control where we were going. My good friend’s birthday was today, and she had invited our family to her party at a local steakhouse. I thought to myself, well, they have salads...I can just order a salad. So to the steakhouse we went. The only problem..they didn’t have any meal salads...only small side ones. I ended up eating a bowl of lettuce and tomatoes with no dressing because there was no fat-free ranch! I felt like everyone was staring at me, thinking I had taken this whole weight loss thing to the extreme. I was certain they were planning my intervention right then and there. After we got home, I was able to eat a little more, meeting my nutritional needs of the day. But I was frustrated and wondered if my family would ever be able to eat out ever again. If I had just spent time doing a little research, I could’ve avoided the problem and had a much better time.

Our wise proverb today speaks of dining in unfamiliar territory. While this Scripture probably is referring to a young man’s manners and test of self-control, this truth still applies when trying to live a healthy life. We must pay attention to what is served to us. We are not always going to be able to control the things that we eat, especially in today’s society. Just because something “looks” healthy, doesn’t mean it is. Condiments, sauces, and oils hide tons of calories/fat that we would otherwise not even notice. Birthday parties, family celebrations, holidays, church potlucks, and work luncheons serve to put a dent in our well-planned food choices. But we can still be faithful to eating healthy, even in all of those situations. 

The main thing that helps me stay on track is paying attention to restaurants’ nutritional information. More and more restaurants are posting their calories/fat/protein calculations on their menus/menu boards. Also, more restaurants realize that more people have dietary restrictions, therefore, they are attempting to meet the demand by adding more healthy options. My best advice, to be totally prepared is to try to view the entire nutritional information online before you even go to the restaurant. Have your order in mind before you go, so as to better fight temptation once you arrive and the aroma hits.  

Secondly, don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions. I am a people-pleaser, and I hate to inconvenience people. I hate to ask servers to specialize my meal, and I hate even worse, sending an order back. But I’ve learned to do it. Substituting that baked potato for grilled vegetables, or simply taking the processed cheese off of my chicken tacos has saved a TON of calories, simply by asking. Restaurants customize meals all the time...why not do it for you too?

Thirdly, my family avoids fast-food altogether...unless it’s Taco Bueno or Chick-fil-A. Fast food typically is calorie/fat laden, and the sodium content is out of the roof! Taco Bueno and Chick-Fil-A have healthy options that our whole family enjoys, and they don’t break the bank!

The best advice I can give someone is to simply eat at home. It’s cheaper, it’s honestly faster, and you know exactly what you are putting in your body. When you find yourself in a situation where you have to dine out, put some time in first doing a little research. It will pay off!

Encouragement for Today 

Proverbs 17:1 “Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting--and conflict.” NLT

1 Corinthians 8:8 “It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.” NLT