Monday, January 10, 2011

What Are You Gripping Onto?

     When I previously lost weight, the number that continued to appear on the scale was 1.4 pounds. Week after week, I would see 1.4 pounds. I was in a Weight Watcher class at work and every week others would share how they did not exercise or how they overate the previous weekend. They would get on the scale and lose 3-5 pounds. I would have exercised every day and stayed inside my point allowance and I would lose 1.4 pounds. Are you noticing I have an issue with 1.4 pounds? That number is one reason I stopped getting on the scale. Well, Saturday was my weigh in day. It had been a week since we began our Biggest Loser Contest and once again I was going to have to get on that scale and deal with harassing villain: the 1.4 number! Not only did I not have to see its face; I lost more than I ever had in one week! I lost 5 pounds! That is almost 4 weeks of typical weight loss for me!
     What had changed? The answer is that I finally did what I had always refused to do! I am a carb lover. My perfect diet would be a total carb diet! When I lost weight the first time, all I ate was low-fat, low calorie, high carbohydrate, processed, diet food. For a year now, I have given up that kind of food. I started eating non-processed food that was not always low in fat, or calories, or carbohydrates. I was feeling better but since I did not control my portion sizes and was not exercising like I should, I gained weight. However, this last week, I finally got to the point that I gave up my carbs and sugars. I ate fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken, and turkey. The result was 5 pound weight loss! A year ago, my doctor told me that the older we get the less carbs we can handle. Now, I know that to be balanced and healthy in my eating, I will eventually need to eat some whole, good carbs in right daily portions. Whole carbohydrates are fuel for our body! However, taking a little fast from them for a little while will help me with the addiction to them.
     I have seen people walk away from changing their diet because it just didn’t work! It didn’t work because they refused to give up all the food they love: they refused to let go off the grip they have on the food they wanted! I have also seen people walk away from their relationship with the Lord because it just didn’t work! It didn’t work for them because they refused to give up all the sin they love: they refused to let go off the grip they have on their sin; or their sin has on them. I have never seen a one way relationship survive over time and neither will a one way relationship with Christ. Our relationship with Jesus has to be more than what He does for us and what He gives to us! It has to be about what we give to Him and what we become for Him. It has to be a two sided relationship. We say we give control of our life over to Him when we become a Christian. Do we really? Do we give 100%, or do we try and give 80%, 50%, or even 10%? If we don’t give 100% then we really did not give our self completely! If we don’t give our self completely, then we will not completely reap the joy, peace, growth, and blessing from abiding with Jesus.

What percentage of you have you given Jesus?

All who indulge in a sinful lie are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backwards.
1 John 3:4-6 (The Message)

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