1 Corinthians 9:27 “I disciple my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” NLT
“I know I need to lose some weight, but I don’t like all of...that,” my co-worker waved her hand at my plate. This particular co-worker had watched me lose the last 20 pounds and she was getting curious. Every day, she would ask me questions, but she would always refute my answers with reasons why she couldn’t do it too. Today, her excuse was that she was a picky eater. So, I asked her, “What are two fruits that you like?” She told me that she liked bananas and apples and went on to share that she ate beans and corn. I came up with a few options for her off the top of my head, but I honestly thought that she just wasn’t ready.
Picky eaters will struggle in areas of nutrition when trying to lose weight. Things that picky eaters enjoy usually tend to be starchy and full of carbs. I also enjoyed starchy foods and I still struggle with my bread consumption. But there are always options, even for the pickiest of eaters to consume. After all, the picky eaters I know typically eat the same things over and over anyway.
When I started my weightloss journey, I read countless blogs and articles of the benefits of certain foods. I wanted to know what would help me lose weight, feel full, and add to my overall health. There are foods that I regularly consume today that I never ate before I started this journey. Without this lifestyle change and research, I never would’ve discovered that I like greek yogurt, green tea, or almonds. But on the flipside, there are things that I had to learn to enjoy. I always thought that raspberries tasted like soap before, but now, they’re a regular part of my diet. Avocados were only to be used for guacamole, but now I use them along with greek yogurt as a base for chicken salad and sandwich spread. Asparagus had never been present in my mouth before, but now it is a weekly occurrence in my home.
While I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a picky eater, I am indeed a picky exerciser. I am physically incapable of playing most team sports because of my birth defect, and I absolutely despise pushups. I can do them if I force myself, but it’s just not something I enjoy. I certainly didn’t enjoy running at first either, but now is a different story. Picky eaters may find themselves having to discipline themselves to eat certain things for their health, and they may actually find that in time, they start to enjoy new foods.
Paul writes in the last part of 1 Corinthians 9 about the historic Isthmian games, an Olympic type event, held in Corinth every two years. He illustrates his point of spiritual discipline is much like athletic training. If we were to compete in an athletic event, we would prepare rigorously so as to win the prize. If we’re not planning to win, why play the game, right? In the same way, strict self-discipline is required if we are to grow as believers in Him. We must press on in our Bible Study and in prayer. We must submit to obeying Christ in all things, so as to win the prize of salvation, eternal life in Christ.
Paul goes onto express his fear of being disqualified. He expresses his concern that after he has taught others how to obtain the prize, he might not get it himself. Therefore, he has disciplined himself in such as a way so that he would not fall away from Christ.
As we transition ourselves into living a healthy lifestyle, we often find that changes are hard. We are accustomed to living one way only to change several things at one time. Those changes may be uncomfortable, but we press on, knowing that our discipline will win us the prize in the end!
Enjoy some time today reading through 1 Corinthians 9-10 and see how Paul explained food consumption and discipline. It’s quite enlightening and encouraging!
Encouragement for Today
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
1 Timothy 4:4-5 “Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.” NLT
Matthew 4:4 “‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” NLT
You know, here in America, we have an abundance of food, choices galore. I'm sure that is part of how we, as a nation, got to be so unhealthy. I've heard the saying "There are no picky eaters in 3rd world countries." And I think having food so readily available and easy to come by (not to mention all the other conveniences we enjoy) has made us forget that we rely on God. We really do have to discipline ourselves when it comes to food here. My friend told me that when she had her revelation last weekend that she needed to lose weight, she realized that the way she had been eating was just sinful. And I have to say, that I have been the same way. We've eaten whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, and however much we wanted. I think we had the opposite problem of pickiness! But I've watched my husband eat ONLY certain foods and turn his nose up at others, or only way those foods if they were prepared a certain way (usually taking all the healthiness out of the equation). In a way, it's the same problem. If we were relying on God, we would be thankful for the food that we are given and grateful that we get to eat something we enjoy. That really makes me want to stop and consider what I'm putting in my body. I need to think of food as fuel and not comfort. And that I should be mindful of whether I'm fueling myself with something healthy that will make my body more efficient or filling myself with the equivalent of sludge that will cause my "engine" to malfunction. Thanks for the deep thoughts for today. Sorry I wrote a book in your comments! :)
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