My husband and I are finishing the last three days of a three-week detoxification diet. It was rough going in the beginning. Coffee called my name. A glass of wine with dinner wooed me but was never purchased. A milkshake (but it's made with yogurt!) from Steak 'n Shake was not purchased. The "two-day detox headache" came and went.
Four days into the diet, both my husband and I rejoiced as one pound fell from each of our frames. Daily, we weighed in and miraculously we each lost one pound per day. As I sit now and blog this entry, I have lost 11 lbs! Hoorah. Did I need to lose weight? No, not to be healthy. But I did want to take a step back from foods I had made a habit. With the weight loss came a new appreciation for fruits, fruit juices, pineapple (two weeks ago I would have never craved a pineapple.)
Who knew celery with almond butter was a great idea for a snack? And then today, I realized in three days we will be challenged. The diet will be over. We will want to keep our weight off. For me, I enjoyed wearing those skinny jeans in the bottom of my drawer that I almost gave away. I reasoned this morning, It will soon be bikini weather. I like this slim new me!
And so did I consult God? No. I cracked open the Clean book (I highly recommend it sans the New Age mumbo jumbo.) This is the diet that enabled me to lose these previously impossible to lose 11 lbs. I learned all of the physical ways to keep that weight off. Adding all those fresh fruits and veggies to my diet was what I needed to maintain. What I put into my body was what I would become. Eat fatty foods = become fat. Common sense.
After putting that diet book down, I picked up my Bible. God presented me 2 Timothy 2:22. How does one lose spiritual weight? By not putting the right things into your life. Well, I reasoned, I want to be weighty in spiritual matters. I want to have a lot of God's Holy Spirit into my life.
And as God often comes alongside and whispers to my soul, He gently reminded me, Man cannot live by bread alone.....Matthew 4:4. I needed to eat more fruits and veggies in the spiritual sense as well (God's fruits and veggies in the form of prayer, fellowship, encouragement, love, forgiveness, servanthood.)
When I neglect to spend time in devotions and in the Word of God, I miss having a balanced meal that day. I ate the potatoes and left the meat on the plate. I might have lost a pound on the scale, but I didn't gain an ounce of wisdom and I may have even lost some spiritual weight that day.
Priorities. I lose spiritual weight when I participate in gossip. I lose spiritual weight when I make it all about me. I lose spiritual weight when I entertain thoughts that are not yet facts. I lose spiritual weight when I choose pleasure over a passion for the things of God.
How about you? It's okay to lose some weight. Physical poundage that is. But don't make it your priority. Cause it sure is hard to not eat carbs, dairy, anything with an ingredient list, any foods that cause inflammation (which are many) and others I am failing to list. This three week detox has been fabulous. But I am truly ready to place my coffee pot back on the counter.
How are you doing in the spiritual weight department? I don't know about you, but I plan on feasting on a great big meal of God! In between juicing and preparing chia seed and kale smoothies, I have had plenty of time to think about this weighty issue.
I choose God. I never want to lose spiritual weight. I want to be ready to block those punches the enemy will throw my way. I want to be like a Sumo wrestler for God! Now that I made you smile - go blend a smoothie and grab your Bible. Put on some spiritual weight today.
Four days into the diet, both my husband and I rejoiced as one pound fell from each of our frames. Daily, we weighed in and miraculously we each lost one pound per day. As I sit now and blog this entry, I have lost 11 lbs! Hoorah. Did I need to lose weight? No, not to be healthy. But I did want to take a step back from foods I had made a habit. With the weight loss came a new appreciation for fruits, fruit juices, pineapple (two weeks ago I would have never craved a pineapple.)
Who knew celery with almond butter was a great idea for a snack? And then today, I realized in three days we will be challenged. The diet will be over. We will want to keep our weight off. For me, I enjoyed wearing those skinny jeans in the bottom of my drawer that I almost gave away. I reasoned this morning, It will soon be bikini weather. I like this slim new me!
And so did I consult God? No. I cracked open the Clean book (I highly recommend it sans the New Age mumbo jumbo.) This is the diet that enabled me to lose these previously impossible to lose 11 lbs. I learned all of the physical ways to keep that weight off. Adding all those fresh fruits and veggies to my diet was what I needed to maintain. What I put into my body was what I would become. Eat fatty foods = become fat. Common sense.
After putting that diet book down, I picked up my Bible. God presented me 2 Timothy 2:22. How does one lose spiritual weight? By not putting the right things into your life. Well, I reasoned, I want to be weighty in spiritual matters. I want to have a lot of God's Holy Spirit into my life.
And as God often comes alongside and whispers to my soul, He gently reminded me, Man cannot live by bread alone.....Matthew 4:4. I needed to eat more fruits and veggies in the spiritual sense as well (God's fruits and veggies in the form of prayer, fellowship, encouragement, love, forgiveness, servanthood.)
When I neglect to spend time in devotions and in the Word of God, I miss having a balanced meal that day. I ate the potatoes and left the meat on the plate. I might have lost a pound on the scale, but I didn't gain an ounce of wisdom and I may have even lost some spiritual weight that day.
Priorities. I lose spiritual weight when I participate in gossip. I lose spiritual weight when I make it all about me. I lose spiritual weight when I entertain thoughts that are not yet facts. I lose spiritual weight when I choose pleasure over a passion for the things of God.
How about you? It's okay to lose some weight. Physical poundage that is. But don't make it your priority. Cause it sure is hard to not eat carbs, dairy, anything with an ingredient list, any foods that cause inflammation (which are many) and others I am failing to list. This three week detox has been fabulous. But I am truly ready to place my coffee pot back on the counter.
How are you doing in the spiritual weight department? I don't know about you, but I plan on feasting on a great big meal of God! In between juicing and preparing chia seed and kale smoothies, I have had plenty of time to think about this weighty issue.
I choose God. I never want to lose spiritual weight. I want to be ready to block those punches the enemy will throw my way. I want to be like a Sumo wrestler for God! Now that I made you smile - go blend a smoothie and grab your Bible. Put on some spiritual weight today.
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