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HEART * MINISTRY * MISCELLANIES *

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Whatever you Eat, and Whatever you drink, and Whatever you do, do ALL for the Glory of God.

Lose Weight for the what??? The sake of my witness?
Now there's motivation!!!

I'm only posting about this due to the ever so cautious inquiries of sisters in the Lord in the last few months about how much weight I have lost in the last year.
I found it REALLY odd that no one ever asks me the HOW or the WHY questions.
(though I tell them anyway....cuz that's how i roll)
It seems that weight or looks, etc is a 'shallow' thing to talk about in the Christian circle because no one wants to be "that guy" (or girl) - you know...the 'vain one' who cares too much about the 'outside of the cup'

In December 2006, I found myself in this dilemma.........
On one hand, I was fine being the size I was, though, sure I felt that I could lose some weight......I just kept saying to myself "one day"
The war in my mind that went from being "geared up to do something about my weight"
TO
"Well, who cares - It's vain to think that I have to look like this or that"

The WHY ----- AKA the CRUX of the matter ~
That was the battle for 3-4 months.......more than anything because I KNEW without a doubt that the ways I was eating was not at all with the purpose to glorify God. Since as a baptist, we don't believe in transubstantiation......there is NO way that praying for my bacon cheeseburger or french fries was going to turn them into vegetables once they got past my taste buds!!! I felt like a hypocrite praying for God to "bless this food to my body" when I was eating low-nutrition - high fat / sugar foods.

BAM ~
Then, I read the text in Gal 5:22-23 and the last fruit jumped out at me.........
"self control"....the 9th fruit of the Spirit.
Food was on my mind often....as a reward for my doing something well, as a comfort for when I felt sad, as something to do to excite my chubby little heart when I felt bored......passively, controlling me.

The HOW ~

Simple 3 words that I saw come across my screen late one night in December 06'
Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Make a choice and make a plan to choose to be contented, but not stuffed......don't wait for the moments of decision to make the decision. Decide, "at this get together tonight, I will order a chicken breast" so that when you're there you look forward to it.
Then, you won't say, "well, maybe just tonight I'll let myself cheat"
(because - you will cheat every time if you are like me)

Don't take detours and don't excuse yourself from your commitments, let your YES be YES and your NO be NO. This is an integrity issue. Keep your word to yourself and to God in your commitment to what you eat, and what activities you commit to doing.

PRAY for help with the above- Ask the Lord to help you have integrity, ask Him to give you light and a sensitive conscience in this area as you walk into where you're having lunch even.
This is good, since we should be seeking His face always, and only then will we have joy that is not based on things that are passing away.

Set goals for activity levels, NOT for "pounds lost" and don't get on the scale every day.
I did turbo jam, and highly recommend it. You can find the first 5 workouts on ebay.....for
$8-20. I paid $75 back in 06 and it has been worth every penny. The workouts are super fun you can do it in your own home.....and the trainer says the right things at the right time to motivate you......haha, I guess I'm like pavlov's dog....cuz it works for me every time I know that it's COMING Up in the video. haha..

Set goals BASED ON eternal things - not for vain (empty) ambitions.......not to look better, although your husband will be pleased, surely, this is a subordinate end ;)

So now I guess, I'm hoping to connect with other sisters who have this same battle......
I'm determined to drop the last 15 stubborn pounds.......and I'm sort of blogging about it as a means of accountability for myself to not get flippant about it.........
The last few lbs as the first 35 were a bi-end to my seeking to honor the Lord and walk uprightly in things as menial as eating and drinking TO HIS GLORY.

I hope to blog more about this.........the white elephant and I will be eating 1/2 a chipotle burrito for lunch .....perhaps after we get back?
:)

love in Christ,
jen

5 Comments:

At 4/03/2008 1:39 PM, Blogger tex said...

Jen2,

Wow - way to be obedient! I have to confess my hypocrisy. I find overweight pastors very hard to take seriously because I look at them and see no self-control. Yet I know the only reason I'm not 400 lbs is I have a decent metabolism and enjoy being active. But no longer! I am convicted to pursue self-control, and to eat and drink unto the Lord!

Thanks sister!

 
At 4/04/2008 10:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey sis,

Just wondering here...you're already at a healthy weight for your height. Is a goal of 15 lbs. more a more admirable goal than simply to continue to eat and drink and exercise to the glory of God, and if He sees fit, you will lose more or sustain the weight you're at?

I usually have a "goal weight" in my mind, but if I am eating right, exercising, not in excess, but in an amount that I know will keep my body healthy, and I can't lose that last 5-10 lbs., should I not be satisfied with where my body naturally keeps me rather than add hours to my exercise regimen each week in order to reach the human goal I set?

I really do wrestle with this, because I enjoy working out, but I don't want the time I put into it to exceed the time I spent molding my heart and mind in God's image. As Paul told Timothy, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

If someone is able to look at me and say, "Man, she's fat--she has no self-control" by how I look or what I do, then, yes, I need to continue to work toward a goal. But if I am doing my best to be healthful and my body shows it, even if I'm not 120 lbs. (which isn't healthy for my height and frame anyway), is that okay?

 
At 4/05/2008 10:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ECHO Echo echo...

Have I mentioned that I love how you blog? It's just like how you talk.

Mwah!

 
At 4/20/2008 5:57 PM, Blogger Jen2 said...

haha...not obedient Tex.....struggling....that's the best part about blogging.....getting my randomness into a more organized format to deal with my ponderings in a more effective way....my SIN in the light.

Hope you and Steph are doing well brethren !
And baby Eve!!

in Christ Jesus,
JenB

 
At 4/20/2008 6:01 PM, Blogger Jen2 said...

Huey, I wrote a part 2 for you. :)
God is the goal, however...my eating has been not so great......which is probably what has kept me from my connecting with Christ as much as I long for, and also, why I've weighed the exact same amount for the last 6 months.

As my dear friend EP says, "it's a heart issue"
All of life is.....how we dress, talk, THINK (as a man thinks in his heart, so is he)
eat, drink, worship, everything....it all involves our NEW heart.........
God has blessed me with the Sat am bible study on the heart with amazing Godly elder women, and I will be blogging some treasure from their teachings next.
xoxo
jen

 

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