Saturday, January 10, 2009

Weight Control (Part 3)



Thanks for letting me break these thoughts on Weight Control into three different posts! I know some of you read this at work and don't have a very long time. Let's pray for each other to be healthier both physically and spiritually!

(Weight Control: Part 3)

E. MILK:

(1) “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (I Corinthians 3:2) In this verse, MILK is compared to simple Bible teachings that must be understood before we move on to stronger doctrine.

(2) “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (I Peter 2:2) We need to desire the pure doctrine of the Word of God. And we must be careful to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize false doctrines.

OPTIONAL FOODS:

An “option" means we can choose to either have or not have certain things in our life. God has given us many OPTIONS. We can choose to serve Him or we can choose not to serve Him. It would be good if we all could say with Joshua, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

I have found that one of the worst parts of going on a diet is having to cut way back on eating sweets. I think I could live on sugar! But according to my research, if I should try, doctors say that my nerves would be shattered, my teeth rotted out, and my pancreas worn out. In other words, my body would be a mess! This reminds me of how hard it is to stay on a healthy diet of prayer, Bible reading, and witnessing. The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. It doesn’t seem like there should be, but even in the life of a Christian, there is an attraction to sin. Just as sugar is sweet and attracts us, yet harms us, so it is with sin. We need to be so full of the wholesome things of God that we have no room left in our lives for sin.

Another thing we need to be healthy is EXERCISE. Acts 24:16 says, “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.” I Timothy 4:7-8 says, “But refuse profane and old wifes’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Paul is saying that even though it is good to exercise our fleshly bodies, that it is so much more important to exercise our spirits which will live on forever!

Two of the biggest battle grounds in my own personal life are the BATTLE AT THE TABLE to eat the right foods and the BATTLE IN MY SPIRIT every day as I try to do the things I know I need to do to be spiritually strong. Let us all pray one for another that God will help us to be strong healthy Christians.


“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every WEIGHT and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 1-2)

Here's hoping this will be a healthier and happier year than ever before!

Marilyn

2 comments:

Cindy said...

I have loved your series on Weight Control. In this new year I am trying to become more healthy both physicaly and spiritually.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Beverly Wooley said...

Marilyn - what wonderful comparisons. Great encouragement!

I too struggle with the desire for sweets. Two devotionals I read this week talked about how SWEET the name of Jesus is. I found the old hymn "Jesus is the sweetest name I know" drifting through my mind all day. I have asked God to make the name of Jesus so sweet to me that it satisfies my desire for sugar. Oh what joy in how truly powerful His name is!!