Thursday, January 8, 2009

Weight Control (Part 1)


Oh my! Those extra pounds that I have put on in the past couple of years don’t seem to be going away so looks like I am going to have to do something about it! Yep! Afraid so! A diet (don’t you just hate that word?) is going to be necessary! So, I have given Weight Watchers some of our hard earned money so that they will give me some advice and make me accountable for my eating. For the next 12 weeks anyway.

Every time I mention the word “diet” to hubby, he says “Just feed me some lettuce and carrots for a while!” But you can’t do that! A good diet has to be balanced and include all of the food groups. I wanted to do a few posts about what kind of nourishment we need….both in our physical lives and in our spiritual lives. And maybe we can shed some excess pounds from our bodies ….those of us who need to….and at the same time, find some ways to unload some of the extra baggage we’re carrying around in our spiritual lives.

I’ve heard that for a diet to work you must eat a balanced diet, change your eating habits and add some exercise. That could apply to your spirit also. Here’s how:

A. MEAT

(1) “Labor not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27) “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” (John 6:55) Jesus said to the people not to labor for meat that will perish but for everlasting life. He meant that He is the MEAT (everlasting life) that we should desire above all else.

(2) “But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples on to another, hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:32-34) Jesus compared MEAT to doing the will of God.

(3) “I have fed you with milk and not meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (I Corinthians 3:2) Here MEAT signifies strong doctrine.

These SERVINGS OF MEAT, (1) everlasting life in Jesus, (2) God’s will in our lives, and (3) being able to understand strong biblical doctrine are essential to our Christian diet.

I think I will stop here for today and expand this post into 2 or 3 sessions so it doesn't get too long.

See you again soon!

Marilyn

5 comments:

Lisa said...

Aren't you glad that with spiritual meat we don't have to exercise portion control. :-)
-Lisa

Yolanda said...

Marilyn, you are on to something...tasty!

Lovingly,
Yolanda
Higher Grounds

Leah Adams said...

Great thoughts!! Diet!! That is definitely a four-letter word.

I'll look forward to the rest of the 'meal' over the next few days.

Leah

Marilyn in Mississippi said...

You are so right Lisa! I have problems with eating too much in the flesh and then more often than not, not taking a big ENOUGH portion of spiritual food! I need to try and reverse this tendency!

Thanks (to all) for commenting.

Marilyn

Cathryn said...

Hey Marilyn, There is a whole lot "meat" in this post. You have such a talent in using analogies and symbols and comparisons and so forth :). I think the phrase I left out is "word pictures." You do that well too. I'm quite serious - I greatly enjoy your writing - straight from the heart, helpful, easy to visualize. Blessings to you - Cathryn