Endurance

Romans 5:3-6 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance, develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” NLT

I couldn’t wait to try out my new toy. My husband and I had just embarked on a new adventure of becoming healthier in our bodies and creating a healthier environment in our home. We scoured the area thrift stores and sales ads, carefully buying used exercise equipment so that we could build our own home gym. Our latest find from the used sporting goods store was a new-in-the-box row machine. What luck! We brought it home, set it up, and I quickly jumped on to try it out. It was smooth, the tension was just right, and I could feel my heart rate rising almost instantly. Suddenly, the temperature in the room shot up, and I was breathing heavily. “Wow, this thing really works! Those fitness experts really know what they’re talking about when they recommend rowing! I’ll try this out for 5 minutes today. After all, this is only my first day” I thought. 

I didn’t make it through the first five minutes. After only three minutes, my legs and arms felt like stretched out balloons, and I literally fell on the floor beside the thing in a heap, breathing heavily, sweating profusely, and convinced that this thing was created by Satan himself as a torture device. “I hate it,” I told my husband in a breathless wail. I didn’t touch the thing again for a week. When I got back on, my goal was 5 minutes again. This time, I only lasted 2 minutes. It was worse the second time around!

Romans chapter 5 begins a section of Scripture, where Paul expounds upon the theology of assurance and hope. Starting in verse 3 of chapter 5, Paul explains that endurance is developed through problems and trials. If we are ever going to experience salvation, newness of life, we must initially go through some problems and trials. 

No one wants to face problems, heartaches, relationship failures, illness, or financial ruin, but all of the things we face here on earth can be used by God to bring us into a greater trust of Him. Our text today says that when we go through these times, they produce endurance. And endurance produces a strong character. And then building on that, a strong character develops a “confident hope of salvation” (verse 4). 

Whenever we face problems of any kind, we can rest assured of two things. First, God is with us. And secondly, we read in our text that we can rejoice in our sufferings because they produce valuable qualities in our character. Then in verse 6, we read that Christ comes at just the right time, when we were utterly helpless. 

When we feel that problems are overwhelming, we can rest assured that God Himself will come at just the right time, but meanwhile, we can journey on, developing that endurance, strong character, and the confident hope of salvation.

The days of struggling with the despised row machine have long passed, and I’ve even been able to build up some endurance to put in a full workout. Being consistent in performing the exercise needed to build up my endurance was all it took to build the strong character I needed. 

When we start a new workout routine, things are just that...new. But we can rejoice in the new obstacles we face, confident that it will bring about endurance. And the endurance will make us strong. 

Encouragement for Today

Hebrews 10:36 “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” NLT

James 1:2-4, 12 “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... God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” NLT

Beauty

Song of Solomon 4:7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.” NLT

My parents always told me I was beautiful. My daddy especially made it a point to build my sister and me up in every way so that as we grew older, we had confidence. But as I grew, kids were mean. As mentioned before, I have a birth defect that affects my eye alignment. It’s unnoticeable to some, but to others, it’s glaring. At every chance, kids would point it out, and sometimes, even adults. As I journeyed on in life and grew obese, I felt ugly and unsightly. Despite my best attempts at hairstyles, makeup application, and nice clothing, I still felt ugly. My husband tried his best too to make me feel loved and commented regularly that I was beautiful. Still, I didn’t feel it. I struggled too with the thought that there are so many bible verses that speak of a woman’s outward beauty as something that wasn’t necessary. I knew that soul beauty was more important, but I still struggled with the desire to like what I saw in the mirror. All I needed was to lose weight, I thought. 

Song of Solomon is a book about the love Christ has for His bride. Much debate has been discussed through the years as to whether this is really about King Solomon or Christ Himself. I happen to believe that it’s both. While the story is true for Solomon, it’s applicable to how much Christ loves us, his beautiful bride, and in turn, how much we should desire relationship and intimacy with Him. If you’ve never read through Song of Solomon, buckle your seatbelt for some interesting reading. It’s much unlike any other book in the Bible. In it, the man consistently tells the woman how much he loves her and how much he adores her. She is beautiful to him, and despite her insecurities, he insists that he loves her and finds those flaws beautiful still.

Whether we want to admit it or not, the desire for outward beauty for women is there. But like the Apostles Paul and Peter and the author of several proverbs, I agree that our truest desire should be that we are beautiful for our Bridegroom, Christ Jesus Himself. No other person’s opinion matters. We as women struggle with this desire to be beautiful, but yet Christ Himself sees who we really are. Without our makeup, on bad hair days, and even when we feel gross and ugly to the outside world, He still sees what’s on the inside. With that said, though, we can be beautiful on the outside, yet have hideous souls on the inside.

It was only when I began my healthy lifestyle change that I began to feel beautiful. Some reading this may say that it’s because I was losing weight. Sure, my self-confidence was boosted a little as I grew stronger, but the truest transformation was when I gave total surrender to every aspect of my life totally over to Him, my Bridegroom. 

There are those within the Christian realm that believe that women shouldn’t care at all about their appearance. However, I believe that the Bible contains several instances where husbands take note of their wives’ beauty as well as other instances where a woman’s beauty is mentioned. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in our appearances if it’s done with the right motive. Whom are we striving to please? Remember also, though, that with age, beauty fades. It’s a natural course in the circle of life. 

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? What do you feel that others think about you? Who’s opinion matters most?

Let me tell you today that no matter who you are, YOU are beautiful. No matter how you may feel or what others may have told you, YOU were created in the image of God with a plan and purpose for life. Living in the way that God has designed you is nothing less than perfect.

Take some time today to soak in the verses listed in the “Encouragement” section. They are transformational and breathe beauty into our souls.

Encouragement for Today

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” NLT

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” NLT

Ecclesiastes 3:11a “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.”  NLT

Psalm 139:14 “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.” NLT

Further Reading: Genesis 12:11; Song of Solomon 1:5; Esther 2:7; Song of Solomon 4:1; Genesis 29:17; 

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

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

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

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

Picky Eaters

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