I struggled with this chapter. Frankly, I didn’t like the questions that it raised.
Questions like:
- Is discipline sustainable?
- When I’ve reached my target weight, can I go back to eating everything I want?
- Does holiness deal with my spiritual life only or does it include my physical life as well?
Everything within me wants the answers to be:
- No worries; discipline is just for a season.
- Yes. Once you look good in your skinny jeans you can go back to trashing the temple of God by eating junk food all the time.
- No. Holiness has nothing to do with your daily life. It is just a sacred word to be discussed in hushed tones in Sunday School class.
Last night I went to bed with this chapter heavy on my heart. And now, I am sitting in my prayer chair asking the Lord, “Do you really want expect me to sustain this healthy living for the REST OF MY LIFE? I can’t do that!”
I decided to lay down my Made to Crave book and open my Bible to distract myself seek the Lord. Lest you think me completely unspiritual, I did begin in prayer asking God to show me His will regarding the continuity of my healthy eating plan.
My Bible reading schedule put me in Acts 19. Excellent. That chapter has nothing to do with discipline or holiness will be very inspiring.
Wishful thinking on my part.
I was reading along nicely, feeling quite satisfied with myself, until I hit the account of the converted magicians beginning in verse 18. Wow, when they found God it really did change their whole lives.
Immediately after hearing of the magnificence of our Lord Jesus Christ these magicians believed. Good for them.
Then they publically repented. Very wise.
Finally, they went back to their homes, gathered ALL their magic books and burned them so they wouldn’t be able to return to their former way of life even if they were tempted. This bonfire destroyed books totaling 50,000 pieces of silver. Yikes!
Those brand new converts obviously believed that followers of Christ are to daily live lives of holiness. They didn’t just talk about it. They didn’t just repent due to their lack of it. Those believers gave up their entire livelihood to make sure that they would do it. They radically committed themselves to living holy lives.
This was the result:
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Acts 19:20
Can you imagine? What would happen if the followers of Christ in America forsook EVERYTHING that wasn’t beneficial in their relationship with Him? What if we all brought every bite of unhealthy food and destroyed it for the glory of God?
Can you picture the headlines in the New York Times? Christian Women Give All For God! or Food for Faith: Women Who Live What They Believe or even, God: What is He Worth To You?
If we lived what we believed, the word of the Lord would spread mightily and its power would grow exponentially. It’s a great picture, but it all starts with you and me.
The question begs for an answer, in the privacy of my own heart and home, when no one is watching and there is no applause, what do I really believe?
Is discipline sustainable?
How about for you?
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This is the truth, isn’t it? The actual bottom line - are we willing to get rid of anything the moment God indicates it is getting in the way of our relationship with Him?
Hi Lucinda,
I was reading in Exodus this morning about the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf and thought of all the ways that I do the same thing. When I don’t see God moving and working on my timetable I am so prone to jump in and handle things my way. Of course, it doesn’t work out any better for me than it did for the Israelites. “Oh Lord, give me an undivided heart to love and worship only You.”
Such a great reminder! Again, I am blown away at how what I’m feeling/dealing with is right in line with what others are working through. If I was doing this journey alone (which I’ve always done in the past) and didn’t have others to talk with/discuss this with/observe, I’m convinced I’d be experiencing the same failure that I have in the past.
I have been thinking a bit (between packing moving boxes and talking to the realtor!) about the “after.” I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past, most notably 60 pounds when I was an adolescent, and always gained at least a portion of the weight back. “Voice” starts commenting-”Why not just have what you want to eat now? You’ll backslide once you’re at the weight that is healthiest for you. You know you will, you’ve done it before. It’s too hard to sustain this type of diet once you don’t see the results on your scale. It will be so discouraging and hard.”
I know that this isn’t a quick fix-the future, when I’m actually at the weight that is healthiest for me, is sort of scary. Until I open my Bible or talk to God and am reminded that scarier still is not making a change. Living the way that I have been-ruled, controlled, manipulated by my thoughts around food is not the way that I (or God) wants me to live my life.
Wow - great reminder in that phrase “scarier still is not making a change.” Isn’t that the truth?