I’ve been reading Joyce Meyer’s book “I dare you – Embracing Life with Passion.” Last Saturday I read a chapter on finances but I found out that I can relate those principles with weight loss. I have four things I’d like to highlight for your consideration.“God’s favor is a wonderful thing available to us. The Bible says in James 4:2 we have not because we ask not. There is a great deal of help available to us from God we never receive, simply because we do not ask.”
Did you know God’s favor is higher and better than relying on your metabolism? Browsing through blogs I often hear the excuse “I have a slow metabolism.” God, our Creator is able to give you favor in a way where He can tell you how to eat, when to eat and which foods are better for the metabolism He created. God can give you favor with the weight loss you need, all you have to do is ASK.
“God’s way is normally that people should increase, little by little, as they follow the principles in His Word. I call it ‘the law of gradualism.’”
Change is gradual. Many sensible and wise health professionals suggest that you lose weight gradually instead of losing everything you need in a month. I believe that when we get things in life gradually we can better enjoy them. There’s an increased sense of appreciation for the met goal. When it comes to weight loss you can get used to your new body better as well.
“Wanting to obey God, we began to give more and more, and for a while it seemed we had less and less. God often tests us to see if we are obeying Him just to get something from Him, or if it is because we love Him and are committed to doing what is right just because we love righteousness.”
Joyce is talking about tithing in this particular passage of the book. I believe that when you’re working on losing weight you are also tested. Some might agree that we are tested every day while we do what’s right for us. I believe God is a loving and giving God. In our living we need to focus on Him and not in a formula to lose weight. We need to focus on having a closer relationship with God instead of having a closer relationship with the food pyramid.
“If a tree has more fruit than roots, it will topple over in the first storm it encounters. I believe human nature is much the same way. If we have a lot of material things and no depth of relationship with God, we can easily be destroyed.”
I couldn’t get this passage out of my mind all weekend. I’ve lost weight rapidly before and I toppled over when I encountered my first storm. I had no roots but now I want my roots to be strong. This is what I learned about roots in plants:
“Roots are opportunistic -- they do not grow in any particular direction. Root growth flourishes in soils that supply adequate oxygen, water, nutrients, support and warmth. Roots will not grow in soil that lacks adequate oxygen or is hard and compacted. A healthy root system is essential for optimum top growth. The large, woody roots anchor the plant and conduct water and nutrients from the fine feeder roots to the stem.” More here
I wonder if I have what it takes to have a healthy root system. I need to think about my soil. Is it healthy or does it need more water? Humans sometimes are more interested in fruits than in developing a strong root. I think that get slim quick schemes are fruit only oriented. We grow better when we do things the right way in the time ordained by God. It takes patience to lose weight in a healthy way. A healthy root will most likely produce healthy food with healthy seed.
This leads me to the next question: what are you going to do with your fruit (weight loss)?
To be continued…