Every day of my life I look into the mirror and think, "I have got to lose this weight." I am so totally disgusted by how much weight I've put on over the last few years. Not only does it look bad, it is bad for my health. I now have high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes. But I have come to realize that even though I know in my head I want and need to lose weight, it's not enough to bring it to fruition. Don't get me wrong, desire to lose is very important, but it won't just zap the weight off of you. If it would, we'd have a lot more people losing weight.
Anyway, I get up with the intention of changing my lifestyle. I plan to drink more water, eat less junk, add in some healthy food, exercise, etc. By day's end, I've usually veered from that course and pretty much blew it. And then comes the depression. And depression makes me want to give up. And it also makes me want to eat. Imagine that. It's a real battle. As I was pondering my dilemma I realized there are some things that are a setup for failure:
Keeping temptation right there in sight....the thing is, I don't really have a struggle to refuse a jelly doughnut or a pecan pie or most pastries. They could be staring me in the face and I wouldn't care to ear them. But you put a box of Oreos anywhere near me and I am doomed to failure. I could sit and eat the whole box. Same goes for chocolate candy. I love a good KitKat, Mounds, Dove, some Whoppers, just to name a few. So why do I buy them? I know that my willpower is lacking. I need to just avoid having them in my house.
Waiting until the end of the day to try to cram in some exercise. If I don't get up and exercise early, chances are I will be too tired by the end of the day, and I'll put it off. And this will cause me to feel bad about myself...and yeah, I'll end up being depressed once again. And remember what I said depression did? Makes me want to eat.
Waiting on someone else to motivate me. I am a person who hates to do stuff alone. But I've come to realize that if I wait for someone else, they will always let me down. I've had exercise partners in the past, and as soon as they have to miss, I miss with them. And if they miss again, well I miss again. You get the picture? So I've discovered that I can't wait for someone else. I have to want this for me. I have to be disciplined without anyone to encourage me. Yeah, encouragement is good, but I have to be able to continue on even if it's not there.
Trying to lose weight for someone else. I can't do it for anyone else or I will end up dissatisfied the minute they don't show me their approval. I need to keep reminding myself that this is for me...for my benefit.
Now...let me say that, as I glanced over my list I was reminded of how these things can also apply in a spiritual sense. If I am struggling with a particular sin, then I need to learn to avoid those scenarios where the temptation will be greater. It's kind of like, if I'm an alcoholic I don't need to be hanging out in a bar. If porn/lust was my issue I'd need to stay away from websites, books, magazines, and such that have those images. And maybe even stay away from places like the beach.
Another thing, I can't wait until the end of the day to spend some time with God. I'm not saying that I can't spend time with Him then, but I need to wake up thinking on Him, reading my Bible, praying, etc. This way the day will start off much better. By night time I am so exhausted and it's a real struggle for me to read or concentrate.
Over the years I've had people who motivated me to study God's word. But what happened when they were gone? My study time dwindled. So I've learned that I can't be dependent on others. I have to discipline myself to do it.
A big problem that I've noticed with people in ministry...sometimes the only studying they do or so called quiet time they have is really trying to prepare a message for someone else. Take youth pastors for example. All week they dig into the Bible trying to come up with a message for their teens. But what they need to remember is, there has to be time spent seeking God about their own lives. Search His Word for their own nourishment, their own spiritual growth. It can't always be about someone else. And I'm not picking on youth ministers here. It can go for pastors, teachers, evangelists, praise leaders, and even people like me...I love to write a good devotional, but it can't always be something for others to read. Sometimes it's got to be a more intimate thing. Something just between me and God.
No comments:
Post a Comment