My mother says that being thin doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. I totally agree with her. She has been working on her Nutrition degree, which adds to a whole life of making sure her children get nutritious, delicious meals. My mãe (mother in Portuguese) is the best cook I know but better than that, she's the best woman I know.I want to develop that thought further and add that being thin doesn’t necessarily mean having a healthy mind. I know that by first hand experience. Here are a couple of thoughts on having a healthy mind as you are working on a healthy body:
“Where the mind goes, the man (or woman) follows.” – Joyce Meyer
My mind was not positive for years. I lost weight and my body followed my mind which used to look at a thin frame and still call it fat. I mentioned on the previous post that God taught me how to change my thought life to match the thoughts He has for me. God wants to prosper me, not harm me. He wants to give me hope and a future. He cares about how much I weigh. He cares how I feel about myself. My thoughts are new. Although I still battle bad thoughts, I know what having new, godly thoughts feel like and I prefer these over negative ones.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – the Holy Bible
After high school in Brasil I went to college here in the States. My high school mentality was changed to the mentality of a college student, which became the mind of a journalist. I learned to think, talk, analyze things, look for facts and even dress like a journalist would. My mind changed from a cool high school girl to a professional. It took studying, years of practicing in the real world, years of having my writing & practices criticized. We renew our minds all the time in the world we live. How come we can’t change our minds when it comes to having a healthier body?
Renew your mind with the word of God
The word of God is alive. His word is sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates the spirit, it judges the attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Christians are to change their minds according to what God says. I once measured myself according to what the Brazilian media said. Let me tell you: they told me I wasn’t thin enough, light skinned enough, my hair wasn’t pretty enough… This whole thing brought years of internal struggle that was changed by the power of the Living God and what He had to say about me. Many times I fought negative thoughts (still do) by opening my mouth and saying what God says about me. There is power in God’s word, I’m a living witness!
The word of God is alive. His word is sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates the spirit, it judges the attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Christians are to change their minds according to what God says. I once measured myself according to what the Brazilian media said. Let me tell you: they told me I wasn’t thin enough, light skinned enough, my hair wasn’t pretty enough… This whole thing brought years of internal struggle that was changed by the power of the Living God and what He had to say about me. Many times I fought negative thoughts (still do) by opening my mouth and saying what God says about me. There is power in God’s word, I’m a living witness!
Think about your thoughts
Make a list of them. Here are my old thoughts: I’m fat, I’m disgusting! These are my new thoughts: I weigh what God wants me to weigh. I’m the righteousness of God in Christ. I’m healthy and I’m feeling better day after day. I look and feel great!
Make a list of them. Here are my old thoughts: I’m fat, I’m disgusting! These are my new thoughts: I weigh what God wants me to weigh. I’m the righteousness of God in Christ. I’m healthy and I’m feeling better day after day. I look and feel great!
Open your mouth and defeat bad thoughts
The way to fight bad thoughts is to open your mouth and say positive confessions. Some people call it mantras, I like the word confession because I am indeed confessing the Word of God. Each time a negative thought comes your way, open your mouth and speak the Word of God. There are 66 books of wonderful and powerful promises. Just choose a few and give it a try.
This is my journey and I’m sticking with it!
Most diets do not take care of your mind. This was a source of frustration for years because my questions were not answered when it came to the way my mind worked along with my changing body. I didn’t know God cared about what I thought about myself. The news today is that God cares about your mind. You can have a healthy mind, a clear and peaceful mind full of God’s promises and love. You have the power to decide what kind of thought life you are going to have. It’s your decision.