The Struggle is Real (and Never Ending)

This week has been a week of realization. That my half-hearted efforts to lose some weight/inches are not working.  In fact, the opposite is occurring.  I'm gaining weight AND inches.  So much so that I had to move up in scrub pants AND all my other clothes.  Talk about heart breaking and frustrating and depressing.  I feel so defeated.

So it's time to face the music and get real and stop pretending.  It's time to let this failure fuel my future....

David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. -1Chr 28:20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Solomon was in the midst of planning to build a large and beautiful temple to honor God.  David  was giving his son Solomon some advice about building that temple.  But remember, we are temples of God too.  As we work to honor and improve our individual temples, it would behoove us to follow this same advice.  We must be strong and courageous, in our faith, in our declarations, in our decisions.  We must do the work -- we must dutifully study the Word to better know God, we must dutifully pray to improve our relationship with God, we must be sure to honor God with our words and actions, and we must do the physical work to keep our temples strong and functioning.  This includes making sure we stay active, and that we're eating a healthy diet.  David reminds us to not be afraid or discouraged, which is so easy when we hit a road block or a speed bump, we must remember that God is with each of us.  And not only is he with us, he will not fail or forsake us!  He will not leave our side ever, because the work for the service of the temple (our individual temples) will never be finished!  He will always be with us, working in us and through us.

He shall say: "Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies.  Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.  For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. -Deut 20:3-4

Oh my goodness.  Although this passage was written about the Israelites entering the Promised Lands and facing foes, this passage is completely applicable to todays world and our individual lives!!  Today and every day we go into battle against our enemies.  We each have different enemies, and the enemies may differ from day to day.  Your enemy may be junk food, depression, anger, or discouragement.  Regardless of what the enemy is, it's there and it's very real.  He reminds us not to be scared, because God is with us even in these fights -- he goes with us into these battles (if we invite him in and allow him to -- remember, He lets us have free will, so if we choose to kick him out of these fights, he stays out) and gives us victory.  Invite God in and you will beat that enemy and win that battle.

One more note -- this passage talks about individual battles, and not the war.  Which means you have to repeatedly and intentionally involve God in each individual battle (improving your relationship at the same time).  If food is your enemy (like mine), you have to ask for God's help for EVERY craving.  You will win the war if you do this, but that requires you to be consistent and devoted to God above your enemies.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

- Matthew 11:28-30

When the struggle is too much, and the burden is too heavy, (for those days will come) you are not without options.  Once again, it all boils down to inviting God into your life, regardless of how petty you think they are.  When the struggle is too much for you, ask God to take it from you.  And he will!  When you earnestly invite God into that moment and give it to Him, you will instantly feel lighter.  You will instantly feel some relief.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. -Galatians 6:2

This verse basically tells you that you NEED a support system.  Finding a group of people who are going through or have overcome the same struggles  are crucial in your victory.  In the world of fitness, this encourages group fitness -- you're going through it together, helping each other, encouraging one another, providing accountability.  You've got shoulders to cry on when needed, and arms to help hold you up when needed.  This creates a network of support, of unity, which is part of the law of Christ -- to work together, NOT alone.  Don't be afraid to ask for help or to vent.  Help each other in love, because remember, the greatest commandment is to love.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is Love. -1 Corinthians 13:13

These commandments extend throughout lifes situations.  But for the sake of this blog post, I'm only going to talk about how they relate to fitness/health. You must have faith that your good choices and efforts will pay off (this also relates to patience).  You must have hope, and be positive in your thinking, your mindset, your attitude.  And love.  You must love yourself, your qualities, your talents.  You must love the progress.  You must love others around you who are working towards their own goals.  No more judgement of others, or "fat shaming" (yourself OR others).  No more!  LOVE must prevail.  Be the change in the fitness/health world, starting with LOVE.