It is commonly said that diets don’t work. On their own, I’d have to agree, but when coupled with conviction, I tend to believe that we’d find a serious bend in that rule. Conviction is the very thing that fuels your plan of action, and makes it a lifestyle change.
Take two different children, with two different mothers, and stand them side-by-side in a china shop. One may be able to stand still without a problem for 5 minutes or more, while the other may need restraints before 30 seconds are up. Both have been given the same rules—"stand still and don’t touch." One has been trained to yield to the voice of reason. He understands the consequences of his actions and is led by conviction. If I do A—B will happen—and I don’t like B. The other does as he pleases, because either he isn’t trained to consider the result of his actions, or he isn’t convinced that B is such a bad thing. Unfortunately, many adults, like untrained children, still behave this way as they are led by their whim.
A man sitting face to face with a doctor who tells him, “change your diet or you won’t see retirement,” is suddenly able to make life changes he never could before. What if the same man was told that if he doesn’t change his eating habits, he might gain 30 pounds? Do you think the result would be worth the change? Perhaps, but in most cases it’s not, as society is aware of this very thing, but chooses to ignore it. Conviction is the key to sticking to the plan, and without it, the plan usually has a way of falling apart.
A couple of months ago, I picked my father up from the clinic where he had just undergone an eye operation. I met him by the nurse’s desk, then ushered him out to the car. After telling me about the nurses he met and all of the jokes that he told, he mentioned something that really stuck with me. He said that he had to close his eyes for ten minutes. It sounded easy enough to do, but apparently it wasn’t. Dad said that the fact that he couldn’t open his eyes was the very thing that made him want to open his eyes so badly. Of course he didn’t, since the nurse warned that the freezing wouldn’t be affective if he did. But what if he had nothing to lose? What if I asked you to close your eyes for the next ten minutes, regardless of what happens? The phone might ring, someone might come to the door, or you may get nervous about the noises around you. Try it—see if you last ten minutes. Most won't.
This is the same affect that diets have on us. The moment we say, “Do not eat” we want nothing more than to eat all we can. I laughed with a friend one day, who wrote something like this:
I started a diet today, and this is what I ate:
1 slice of whole-wheat toast with a half a banana for breakfast
A tossed salad for lunch with a diet cola on the side
1 skinless breast of chicken sprinkled with salt and pepper along with a cup of rice for dinner
Another cup of rice, another skinless chicken breast floating in bar-b-q sauce for dinner
An ice cream bar
A bag of chips
5 pieces of cheese with crackers
A chocolate bar
2 pieces of licorice
A glass of milk
And another ice cream bar...
You get the point? Somewhere around dinner time, she fell apart.
The more rules we impose on ourselves, the more we desperately want to break free of them. The moment we leave the door open to human error, we jump at the chance for freedom, and another iced cream sandwich or two.
The way to break free from this pattern of eating is to couple the rules of the diet with conviction. We need to train our souls to listen and yield to the voice of wisdom. My all time favorite Bible verse for dieting is 1 Corinthians 6:12:
“Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims.”
I don’t usually use the Message translation when quoting, but I loved the way it spelled out the point, “I’d be a slave to my whims.” For me all food is permissible, I consider the variety of wonderful food we have as a gift from our Lord, but with that said, I also believe that glorifying it to be something more than it is, is not profitable to my hips or my spirit.
Like a child in a china shop, my heart needs to be to be trained to listen to the voice of wisdom when it says “You’ve had enough;” to understand the depth of the consequences, and to know that doing what I want on a whim is not an option.
There’s nothing wrong with rules, in fact many rules are there to save our life, but telling someone to live according to them, and giving her a reason to live that way, are two entirely different things. One is preaching, the other is teaching. I’m not referring to the rules “Touch not; taste not; handle not;” of Colossians 2:21, which are based on commandments and doctrines of men. I’m talking about boundaries that keep us in good conscience with God as we yield to wisdom. “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Acts 24:16.
It’s the yielding to understanding and wisdom that protects us from following the lust of the flesh. Believing that the consequence is not an option is the mindset that keeps us on the right track.
So how do we accomplish this? It’s a three-step program that I’ve mentioned before, and I’ll probably mention several times more—listen…gain wisdom…guide.
Disciplining our bodies, like disciplining our children, is about teaching one to live in accordance with boundaries. Look up discipline in the dictionary, and you’ll see several different ways of saying, “learning to stick to the rules.”
Dictionary.com defines it this way: “Training to act in accordance with rules.”
In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul writes, “But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” NAS
That’s quite a contrast to those Paul mentioned earlier who are a slave to their “whim.” Discipline is key. Consider your lifestyle and ask yourself these questions:
If you have set guidelines for health and lifestyle, at some point you will feel the sting of your choice. Discipline isn’t fun, in fact Hebrews 12:11 tells us that it’s grievous, but it also promises that you will enjoy the peace it brings to your life—later on. Are you willing to wait, or will you bail the first chance that you get?
Let’s look deeper at the word “discipline” What is a disciple? It’s one who is a learner, a follower, a student; such as the Disciples of Christ. So in our case if our bodies are disciples, then what or who is the teacher? The answer is the Spirit, which we have received in Christ.
Remember Romans chapter 7? If you haven’t read it in a while, try getting into it today. As one who struggles with a lust for overindulging, I can relate to Paul when in verse 18 he writes, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Does that sound familiar, ladies? Whether we struggle with addiction to porn, alcoholism, smoking, or overeating, most of us will agree that the will to quit is there, but we don’t have the gumption to grab hold of, and stick to the plan, or to put it bluntly--to refrain from our sin. The reason that our bodies are so naughty at times is because of the carnal nature we’re born with. The heart, which consists of our lust and desires, is deceitful above all things, and it leads our body into all kinds of trouble--if we let it.
How often has the desire of your heart whispered a lie in your ear? Just one peek won’t hurt. Just one drink won’t affect you. Buy one last pack of smokes--you deserve it. Just one more night of overeating, and you’ll be back on track tomorrow... This carnal mind is not subject to the law of God; it lives to please the flesh and the flesh alone.
Paul says, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:24 & 25
Paul shows us the difference there, and the choice we have to make. Are you choosing to serve God by walking according to the Spirit, or are you choosing to follow your heart?
This month, set aside some quiet time to write a letter to yourself. Let God in on this too. It may take one letter—it may take a few. Prayerfully consider the changes that you’d like to see in your life, and the reason you’d like to see change. This letter is for your eyes only, so feel free to hide it or tear it up later. The important exercise here is that you decide what is good and why it’s important to you, before you continue this journey.
I’ve met countless women who have stepped into a diet for the sole purpose of “getting healthy.” However, when they discover that the needle on the scale isn’t willing to budge, they quickly step back. If we desire to lose weight, we need to be honest with ourselves, and to realize that a desire to look good isn’t an unhealthy thought. It’s normal and one that God understands. Remember that He is the one who painted the butterflies, dotted the ladybugs and put lights in the back of little night flies. He’s the author of perfection and beauty, and He’s perfecting you too.
Whatever it is that you desire to change, consider it well, and realize your need. Enjoy a little soul searching, ladies; till next month, Live Well!
