Seeing with God's Eyes

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:1-3

At the beginning of this year I started a new goal for my health. I’ve had success with weight loss in the past but have always gained it back. So this time I chose a more modest goal of losing only 1/2 pound per week, hoping in the process to change my eating habits permanently. It has been about eight weeks, and I had been having good success, but my progress seems to have stalled. I have lost a few pounds, but not my goal amount. I am tempted to become very frustrated by this. I really have been doing very well as far as exercising and following my diet. This success is due to God’s power in me and acknowledging that I cannot do it without Him. But to not see the full effects on the scale is very frustrating.

I can easily believe my emotions and be dragged down by satan to believe his lies, that I am failing and all my hard work for two months has been for nothing. But I have to choose to reject that lie, and instead believe the big picture truth that God is showing me. Boy is it hard though.

As I was thinking about it, God was telling me that I have been a success. I know my body is in better shape. I can walk more miles, I can scramble up hills when we hike, and jump mud puddles and not strain anything! Now if only the full effects of this would show up on that darn scale! lol But what God was also showing me is the big picture of the changes He has made in me. Not only have I not gained any more weight, which I found myself doing easily after 40, but have actually lost a couple of pounds. So God is telling me that I have had success physically, but more important are the changes He has made in me have been more spiritual and emotional. He is teaching me to be disciplined in how much I eat and exercise. I am learning to be steady in the amount I eat and in my weight instead of constantly going up and down. And He is slowly loosening my grip on food as an emotional comfort, which basically as an idol. I believe these internal changes are actually more important than the external ones and hopefully will lead to positive physical and spiritual change for the rest of my life.

God, thank you for the success you have given me thus far. I really do feel like I have become more stable in my eating and weight and that you have more control over this part of my life. Protect me from frustration and discouragement. Give me the strength to reject satan’s lies and to believe You. And I know I can’t do any of this without you. So give me your strength to continue working towards my health goal and help me to figure out what I need to change to get there. I know you love me no matter what and are proud of my progress. You see my heart and my effort and my desire. You see internal success that doesn’t always show up on scales or visible externally. Help to me choose to see with Your eyes. I love you. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8

 

About these ads