Wimp Or Warrior - Part 5 - When God say's "GO!"

 

Let me take a moment and set up the stage for you.  You’re in the military, special ops; you’re just about to make a raid on a building against an unknown amount of enemies.  You believe with all your heart in what you are doing and you have a mission to enter, and recover an item.  You stand at the edge of the door and wait, you wait for the call of your commanding officer and not until he says the word GO do you make a move.  You have been training, preparing, pushing yourself to get to this point where before you is an unknown ending, but you’re ready – because you are prepared for battle.

A little side note here, I work with a lot of military men and women – and am friends with many as well.  The men I work closest too just happen to be Marines.  I keep seeing a recurring theme with these men, and it intrigues me enough to liken their behavior to that of a warrior in the army of Christ.  When there is an obstacle, it seems that they instinctively find a way around it with whatever means necessary.  They take orders from their leader and they follow it, an obstacle is just a wall to climb.  I’m sure in the darkness of war, these brave men and women didn’t sit behind the warfront reading a book on the ins and outs of battle, they trained, and trained, and when the day arrived – they waited for the call to GO – and they did.

What are you choosing to listen to as your commanding officer?  The world, your job, the bible?

Here’s something that might wreck your theology… The world is not the commanding officer you should be following, and certainly your job is not a God you should be serving, not even the bible should be the ultimate authority in your life – if you are living out your faith by chasing after every word you read in the bible – you’re chasing death.  God is life – and God is the ULTIMATE authority.  A spirit filled believer is alive because of the spirit – not because of a book.  Raised by humans, and becoming products of our environments, we get so used to – and tied up in rules.  If you don’t do X the way the rule book says C is the result.  I’m not saying rules aren’t good to have, but what I am saying is that the more I learn about God and who he is, the more I’m learning that listening to him and his direction is proving to be way more powerful and rewarding than trying to find him in some random written texts.

Being a warrior for Christ is a lot like that.  We can read the rulebook and never get out of our comfy church pew, or we can be true warriors and go out into the world and do.

What holds many Christians back from doing what God is calling us to is the fear of what other people might think.  But if you are really ready and willing to follow after God with all of your heart there is one thing that you’re going to have to be ready for – opposition.  Our military doesn’t go into war without facing opposition – and neither do we.  Facing opposition is as necessary to battle as the training that leads up to it.  But why the battle – aren’t Christians supposed to be peace loving, kind and gentle pushovers?  Nooo – I think we established that in the first few blogs in this series.  If you didn’t read those yet, click on the links at the bottom of this page to catch up.   Let me challenge your thinking here for a minute – if you really feel Christianity is all about peace, and not about being tough, trained warriors, then you must also believe that the world is a safe place?  There are no predators that rape and molest, no murderers who kill just because you don’t have the right hair color?   No babies in war torn countries that are being sold into slavery and starving to death?  If none of that existed, we could provide earth with the “heaven on earth” as the bible declares it will be one day.  But for now, we are called to be warriors, we are called to face opposition, we are called to train so that when he says “GO” we will be ready.

I can only imagine what Jesus must have gone through when God said GO.  Leaving his heavenly throne to join us here on earth as a mere baby.  His first days were filled with being hidden from the horrible ruler Herod who wanted him murdered for fear of his great power.  Then throughout his thirty something years here on earth he was hated and mocked, and ultimately set up for crucifixion – all because he was following after God’s GO.  But he had a plan; he knew the end of the story.  Don’t you – when you know what an end result is going to be, find that you have the drive and willpower to get that job accomplished?  That’s what Jesus did.  Jesus endured all of that – just for you. 

So what “GO” do you think God is calling you to today?  Have you ever taken the time to get quiet with him and see where he wants to lead your life?  Do you really think that your life here is about being a “good person”?  Is that what you’re going to church for?  Don’t feel condemned by that – I’ve been there – I thought church was to make life perfect – if I did all the right things – I’d be blessed.  But I was missing the point.  This life is not about you – you were put on this planet to fulfill a purpose, a destiny, a calling.  Don’t say no to God because the people in your circle aren’t going to like your decision – be strong and courageous – do not be terrified – for the Lord your God will be with you WHEREVER you go!  There is no place on earth that God will send you to that he will leave you abandoned.  He is ALWAYS with you.

When God says Go – you might find that you’re breaking the natural rules that you have been holding on to – breaking off the legalism and freeing you to be who he is calling you to be

Maybe part of the problem is that you don’t know what the end result is like Jesus did.  The Go choice in front of you is a huge risk – it usually is.  But if it’s truly God calling you to it, the end result is definitely going to be worth it – and in your obedience He will bless you along the way.  God’s plan for your life is to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

 I have a challenge for you… knowing where I was as a baby Christian, the thought of hearing God’s voice was a bit foreign to me.  I thought God speaking was only something special that he did in the bible, to very special people.  I want you to know that YOU are hearing from God – and you are capable of having dialogue with him on an ongoing basis.  He is your best friend and your most amazing resource living right within you.  If you are not currently in a bible teaching, spirit filled church, I challenge you to search one out.  Start your journey of knowing who God is and honing in his voice within you.  Through the pages of the bible, you can start learning about who God is.  God is love, God is justice, God is peace. 

God is also the ultimate master of war and victory.  War games are not only physical, but mental. It’s time to change your mindset – change your perception and become empowered.  Fill your mind with the goodness of who God is and be blessed by the eternal sacrifice that he has laid out for you in Jesus Christ.  If you are weak minded and wishy washy, God has no use for you at this point of the battle front.  It’s time to get strong, its time to start training.  Do yourself and your destiny a favor and mark this day as a new starting point – set your focus on the victory marker on the mountaintop and start climbing.  Never lose your focus on what God has called you to – he didn’t give up when he marched himself to the cross to be slain to save you from a life in hell.  Your strength and your victory will give onlookers the power to start their own journeys and be set free from the bonds of hell that this world puts us in.  No more wimpy Christianity – you are called to be a warrior – you are called to fight!

Jesus!  YOU are the ultimate warrior – the ultimate example of victory – you trained – you fought – and you won!  And as a result we earn the benefits of your struggle – your holy spirit who resides within us.  Lord I pray that I can mark this day as a turning point in my life; that I can have you Jesus living within me – empowering me to become the mighty warrior that you have called me to be.  Open my spiritual ears to hear your voice and to have dialogue with you.  Help me to see the rewards that you have waiting for me – give me a focal point that grabs my attention so strongly that I will never want again what I may leave behind.  In the name of Jesus I have power and strength to push through the obstacles that lay ahead of me – and a strength and determination to get up if I get knocked down.  Surround me Lord with people who will support me when I am weak and cheer with me when I am strong.  Help me to realize that no matter what battle you are calling me to – that I am NEVER alone I my calling – that you Lord have a support unit for me.  You loved me enough God to send Jesus to rescue me – I ask for the fire of the holy spirit to ignite itself within me and give me the drive and the passion I need to accomplish your will.  In the powerful and victorious name of Jesus I pray – AMEN!

  

1.    http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2013/12/wimp-or-warrior.html

2.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-ii-slave-mentality_2.html

3.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-3-girlz-n-daggerz.html

4.  http://laughingatyourreligion.blogspot.com/2014/01/wimp-or-warrior-part-4-first-royal.html

Wimp or Warrior - Part 4 -The First Royal Bodyguards

Fame is a game not everyone can play, but for the many that do – personal protection is not only a need, but also a must have.  Stalkers and paparazzi out for their own personal interest and gain, cause people in high powered positions to enter into situations that without the backup of well trained professionals, can lend to danger.  Perhaps one would think that professional body guarding is a newer profession, brought on in more recent centuries, but picking up a bible will show you that body guarding is as old as handwriting itself.  In fact, not only is body guarding biblical, so are getaway cars.  You think I’m making this up don’t you – seriously – getaway cars – in the bible – what kind of acid are you trippin’ on girl?  No seriously – take a look!

Jesus grew to draw a huge following.  In Mark 3, he is found performing miracles and people were paying attention.  People were pouring in from all over just to see and hear him.  Can you imagine going from a nobody to having flocks of people wanting to get to you?  The sheer mass of people led Jesus to need to make sure that he had an escape route so he could go and chill after a day of serving.  Being a loved/hated public figure, he needed some personal protection, and so he created out of his surroundings and made his twelve disciples into his own personal security agents.  In Mark 3:9 is where I will personally dub the first getaway car…  “Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.” Can you see it?  Jesus, in a crowd of people, the disciples with ear pieces and dark glasses standing around in watch, Jesus says his piece and quickly they escort him to the lake where the getaway boat is waiting and they speed off to – well – I guess the other side of the lake.  Ok ok – silly I know but really – it’s legit (well, minus the high tech gadgets)

Jesus – through his disciples, had his own personal protection agency.  Sure he is the Son of God – born of a virgin – that should have been all the protection he needed.  But perhaps we should look at what surrounded Jesus and open our eyes to see that Jesus too needed his own human source of protection.  I think that all too often in the church, men and women of God believe that God will protect them from the evils of the world, that nothing bad will happen to them because God protects his babies.  Well can I slap you with a stupid sticker on this one?  Look around – it doesn’t take a genius to see that evil does not discriminate between Christians and non-Christians.  If it did, then tell me why church shootings happen, why rape happens, or murders occur.  Why do homes get broken into, why do evangelists get death threats or their homes burned down?  If God is omnipresent and can be in all places at all times – why do these things happen?  Maybe it’s time to quit asking why and realize that they just do – and it’s our responsibility to co-labor with God and become protectors and warriors for his kingdom.  Are you one of those sheeple that think this way?  That war is not godly?  And defending the defenseless is not something we should be getting our hands messy with?  If that’s your opinion, then keep it to yourself because there are godly men and women that put their lives in danger every day to protect us from the threats that are there that will harm us.  Morally, war is difficult, the protection service is difficult, but our protectors need to know that we support them – and I for one will always defend their honor because of the battles that they have entered for my freedom.  Here are some scriptures to back up our back ups – be renewed in your mind sheeple!  “Praise be the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle” Psalm 144:1,  “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”  Isaiah 1:17, “For he is God’s servant for your good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.  For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”  Romans 13:4.  Did you see a common thread throughout those scriptures?  Gods servant, God trains, defend the defenseless…  How else can God’s children be broken from slavery and brought to freedom if there is no one to fight for them?  The children in the sex trafficking industry – being bought and sold as prostitutes, 8-year-old girls being sold into marriage because her family is too poor to keep her.  Do you not think on that innocent girls side of the story?  Do you think at 8 she is ready for grown up sex or pregnancy?  Wake up!  This is your call – open your eyes to the hurt and dying world around you – and in whatever forms you can – become a defender.  If your child is being bullied at school, have them trained in self defense – at the very least, knowing how to defend themselves will empower them and give them confidence.  I did this with my daughters and they started befriending the bullies – and stood in the gap when these bullies tried to hurt their friends.  Little bodyguards.

The twelve disciples were the original royal bodyguards.  They learned and trained under the authority of Jesus.  Not only were they spiritually trained in the skill of the sword of the spirit – able to cast out demons and speak truth and perform miracles in power, they were also skilled in battle.  In this scene in Matthew 26:50-51, Jesus was about to get arrested before his crucifixion… “Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.  With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.”  Now I’ve never played with swords, or have been one to play with knives, but to have the skill to cut an ear off – doesn’t sound like this was this guy’s first sword fight.  And looking at the bigger picture here – Jesus was the Son of God – of all people, I wouldn’t expect him to need a bodyguard – but he had 12.  They had a purpose whether they knew it or not, and it was to keep Jesus alive until the day appointed to him be crucified. 

Jesus’ bodyguards – they certainly did lack in their recognition of the immense job that they had.  They stumbled through trainings, falling asleep when Jesus commanded that they stay awake.  They grew afraid during a storm when Jesus was peacefully resting; they betrayed him, which led to his arrest.  These amateur bodyguards certainly did not realize that they were protecting something so precious and valuable as the savior of the world. 

So why is it that Christians feel that fighting is wrong?  Guns are evil, and being prepared is evidence of a lack of trust?  I think it is because we are looking at the Jesus before the cross.  Misinterpreted scripture can point out faulty evidence that lends to thinking that we don’t need to do or shouldn’t do anything to protect ourselves.  That’s ok thinking if you’re a sheep – but if we are to truly become Christ like – shouldn’t we look at the Jesus that came to be after the cross?  The Jesus that revelations 1:14 declares as having fire in his eyes.  “his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword.”  If that’s the Jesus that was created after the cross – and we are to become more Christ-like – then wouldn’t it deem to be true that we too should become warriors and fighters?  Filled with godly righteous anger, with painful truth coming from our tongue like a sword, built up and trained – and through our trainings become defenders of those who are unable to defend themselves?  The men and women and children of God who perhaps are unable to access the resources needed to learn how to protect themselves.  What about the part that says he has a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth.  That to me says boldness – to be able to cut with your tongue by using words that are to the point and dare I say offensive.  “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Proverbs 31:8. This verse makes it sound to me like we have all been commissioned to be bodyguards.  Even just by speaking up for someone too afraid to speak out for themselves is protection. To become a person like that I would dare say that you’re going to make some enemies.

Ok, so break this all down to a personal level.  No you don’t need to run out and join the military or sign up for bodyguard school, but what about protecting your home?  Do you own a gun?  Do you know how to use it?  Oh wait – do you think owning a gun is not godly?  Wreck that with this… “He (Jesus) said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”  Luke 22:36.  Why would Jesus himself tell people to buy a sword?  I prefer to use study bibles so that I can get perspective on verses that don’t make sense to me – and in the footnotes of my bible it explains his comment as this, “buy one, An extreme figure of speech used to warn them of the perilous times about to come.  They would need defense and protection”.  (Courtesy of Zondervan’s “The NIV Study Bible” 1985)  So if Jesus is telling us to buy a sword (obviously no – we cant walk around looking like a bunch of freaks yielding swords – not only would that totally freak people out but I’m sure – they’re not the easiest weapon to conceal) shouldn’t we take his direction and have some kind of weapon?  Look around you, it’s no secret that the world, our country, our neighborhoods are becoming ever more dangerous.  If an armed robber entered your home – how would you defend?  By calling the police?  Ok so he shoots you on the way to the phone – or after you hit the panic button on your house alarm – what good did any of that do?  Nothing!  You’re dead – and your house and loved ones are now in danger.  What could you have done to avoid this situation?  Train to be a warrior!  Become like the one who created you!  Discover more of the warrior that God is through this song of Moses from Exodus 15… “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.  The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea, The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  He is my god and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.  The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.  Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.  The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the red sea.  The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone.  Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.  Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.  In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you.  You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.  By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up.  The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.  The enemy boasted, I will pursue, I will overtake them.  I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them.  I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.  But you blew with your breath and the sea covered them.  They sank like lead in the mighty waters.  Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?  Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?  You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.  In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.  In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.  The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia.  The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall upon them.  By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone – until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people you bought pass by.  You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance – the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.  The Lord will reign for ever and ever.”

Moses was defending the defenseless – he was leading people out of Egypt and headed for the Promised Land – and this created enemies.  But God had his back – just as he’ll have yours if you ever have to face battle.  Isaiah 55:17 says, “No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord”.  This verse clearly says that there will be weapons against you – but they will not prevail – how?  Because you will be a trained servant, protector, steward of what God has given to you to protect.  You have a call on your life to battle.  If you aren’t already, isn’t it time to prepare?

It’s an overwhelming task to consider.  Becoming personally responsible for the life of another human being.  It is definitely not a task for the faint at heart, nor for the weak minded.  But God has called you to be strong and courageous according to Joshua 1:7 “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; to not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  You have the tools at your hand to mentally prepare to get in the game.  God has provided you with spiritual armor, that as a warrior in the kingdom of heaven, we must put on daily to protect ourselves.  Ephesians 6:13 says “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”  So just what does the armor of God consist of?  It’s nothing you can buy in a store – and it can only be purchased through prayer… “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Stand firm them, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Ephesians 6:10-17

To see a perfect representation of the ultimate bodyguard, look to Jesus and his last days on earth.  He was guarded by men, but allowed himself to be put on the cross as an ultimate bodyguard to all of mankind.  The fiery dart of the enemy that wanted to kill him, he shielded from by willingly putting himself on the cross and refusing to allow his spirit to be taken over by the enemy.  He took punishment upon himself – punishment that was meant for us.  Jesus was our ultimate shield so that we wouldn’t get what we deserved.  He saw death aimed at us – and he stepped in the gap.  He left all that he had to come in to the slums of earth just to rescue us.  He left the kingdom of heaven and all of its glorious riches – and traipsed through the pits of hell to rescue – and came out victorious.  With Jesus living inside us – we are empowered to do the same.  We are empowered to venture into dark territory to rescue those who need our help.  Imitate the one who gave it all to rescue you.  It’s time to get our hands dirty, because there is a world out there that is silently dying in your absence.  Open your eyes and see it.  Your comfy lifestyle is hindering you from the reality that there is a broken and dying world out there – and God needs you to stand up and be strong – go to the nations and save his babies from the pain and torture they’re experiencing.  Don’t be afraid – he promises to be with you no matter where you go (Joshua 1:7) If the God of the universe is with you, and Jesus, the ultimate bodyguard lives within you, what greater empowerment will you need? 

God, you are the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.  In your righteousness you call us your beloved, your cherished, your children.  Thank you for your peace that settles deep within us and calls to our spirits.  Renew our mindset to the kingdom mindset that you desire for us to have.  Prepare us for battles that lie ahead of us and make us aware of the real problems facing us and afflicting your children today.  Remove the veil that has been placed on our heads that blinds us from the truth that your babies are being hurt and need human protection - protection that you are calling on me to provide.  Bring me revelation to see what your call is on my life and give me discernment to see where I am called.  Provide me with the tools to protect who you send me to.  Remind me until it becomes a habit to put on my full armor every single day, and remind me of my authority in your kingdom until it becomes a lifestyle.   Give me the strength to stand up and say yes to your call God, to not be afraid, to become a defender, a protector, a strong and valiant warrior for your kingdom.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.     

The Best Diet Ever!

Did you hit your brick wall yet?  Don’t look around – yes I’m talking to you.  The one holding the remote, diving your hand into those high calorie snacks, having your little pity party because you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be working?  Yes – I’m talking about the D word… Dieting.  We’ve seen the infomercials, read thousands of articles, commiserated over our weight loss woes with friends and co-workers, but maybe there’s a diet you just haven’t tried yet… What if dieting became less about how you look in the mirror, and more about causing your body to worship God?  Psalms 103 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.”

Remember the days of your youth, when life was carefree – you ate what you wanted and just felt great?  Wouldn’t it be great to feel like that again?  In this Psalm, it tells even our inmost being to praise the Lord.  Our inmost being – our insides – not just our heart and our mind – but all that is within us is to praise God.  When the spirit of God is living within us, we have the power to heal, and we can co-labor with God in worshipping him by taking steps to improve our health and begin healing.  What the devil has stolen, it’s time to take back my friends.  Is there an organ in your body that isn’t working the way it should?  Do you have high cholesterol or blood pressure?  Or are you simply frustrated by those pounds that aren’t shedding – and you’ve tried – and tried again to lose them.

Let’s start with the matter of your heart.  Pull out a sheet of paper for this one – I want you to look inside yourself to pull out the answers to this.  Ready? 

Why are you wanting to lose weight?  Health reasons, you don’t like who you see in the mirror, your loved ones complain about your size, be honest with yourself – God knows your honest answer – be honest with him – he doesn’t mind.  In fact, the more honest you can be with the one who created you, the more you’ll discover how much he cares about you and wants to hear from you.  Weight can be such a sensitive subject – but God knows all about how you feel – he created you – he created your feelings.

Ok, so enough with the psychology chair for now… pull yourself up by your bootstraps and lets get working on the best new you ever!

Your Mind:

Love the Lord your God with all your mind – and love yourself too.  The mind is the hardest thing to force into compliance with Gods word.  Sometimes it takes a lot of work, and a lot of reminders to make your brain do something that it’s not used to.  Start by getting bossy with your mind – In the name of Jesus – I declare my mind has come into compliance with the Holy Spirit, and I am a child of God, an heir to the throne.  I have the mind of Christ and I am determined to follow after and worship him.  Your mind can be the biggest hurdle in weight loss.  The not wanting to work out, the not wanting to change eating habits etc.… you know your excuses.  Give yourself a reason to change – and be reasonable.  Start out with a weekly goal – and don’t be discouraged if you miss it – just move the deadline and make sure you follow through.  Get an accountability partner to help spur you on – especially in your moments of weakness.

Your heart:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart.  Loving God with your heart is the most basic form of worship to him.  When you love God with your heart, you radiate his glory – you glow.  Take a moment and just close your eyes, tell God how much you love him and feel how you glow in the moment.  Note how good you feel when you do this.

All that is within you:

Can you imagine if all of your organs started worshipping God in the same way that your heart can?  Can you imagine how good that would feel?  Close your eyes again and imagine that – imagine your kidneys and your liver – worshipping the Lord because they are full of health and life.  Can you feel the radiance of health and life that could be flowing from every cell within you?

How, you might be asking, can you create something within yourself like this where every part of you worships the Lord?  How can you take that step forward and say Yes to God and his desire for you to be healthy?  Stand up and declare it today – that from this moment forward, you are going to worship God by getting healthy.  Start by taking control of what goes in to your body and start becoming aware of the toxins that are in the direct and indirect things that you ingest.

Step 1:  You are what you eat… have you ever taken time to consider what you wash your dishes with?  I looked on the label of my dishwashing liquid to find that it was made with sodium silicate and Chlorine bleach.  Have you ever run a load of dishes and had a nice cold beverage – in a nice clean glass – and tasted the leftover remains of soap that remains on the glass?  I have, and one day it gave me an awful headache, my heart started racing, and I was dizzy – I had been poisoned.  Our organs are taking in that poison and dispersing it throughout our bodies – that’s definitely not a healthy way to worship God.  But never fear there are organic products out there.  Find one that is biodegradable and made from plant-based products - just Google it.

What other kind of poisons are you putting into your body?  Are you a smoker?  A heavy drinker?  Or use some other kind of poison?  How are those things worshipping God, when you know that they’re poison?  Yes these things are hard to put down – especially when you have had them as a habit – but God is greater than any weakness that we have – and he can help you get healthy, but you need to take the first step.  He’s not going to do it for you – but he will be with you every step of the way.

"Read Measurement Markings from Above"
Let God show you how he sees you

How is this all tying into the best diet ever?  Because the best diet to have is really not a diet – it’s a healthy lifestyle.  It’s a mindset of realizing that your body is a temple that the Lord longs to dwell in – and everything that you do to abuse your body – is abusing the Holy Spirit that lives inside of you.  Take a moment to think about that.  When you go into a church, or a holy place – what do you do in there?  How do you act?  Why?  Think of your body in the same terms as you would think of the church – holy.  “Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As Christians, we are commanded to honor God with our bodies.  Let that work itself into your brain and allow it to renew your mindset.  Would you bring garbage to a temple and leave it there?  Or do you bring only the best to the temple?  The choice really is yours to make – but I truly believe that once you start to have a reverence for your body as being a temple for the Holy Spirit to reside in, making healthy life choices will become as natural as breathing.

Becoming aware of what we put on and in our bodies is becoming increasingly important in a world where pesticides, harsh chemicals and environmental toxins are unavoidable.  We can’t control the world but we can filter what goes in to our temples by being diligent to be aware of the things we consume.  It does take work – and it takes a conscious effort.  But isn’t your health – and God, worth all the effort it takes?

Step 2:  Quit eating or at least cut back on processed foods!  Look at the label – what do you see?  What kinds of ingredients are you ingesting when you eat those items dubbed as “healthy”?  I was shocked when I took a nutrition class for college.  It opened my eyes to realize how blind society has become to believing what we’re told.  Foods that are labeled or advertised as being good for you – Don’t be a sheep and follow the herd on this one.  Those preservatives and additives that they put in processed foods – are not really what they’re cracked up to be.  Honestly – we read the labels looking for sugars and fats and fibers – but have you ever dissected the ingredients on the back of those labels and what they mean?  What is ascorbic acid – or guar gum?  What do they do?  Are they really a healthy item to be putting into our bodies?  Does it gross you out to know that some of the fillers that go into foods derive from sawdust?  Now that’s some serious fiber right there!  Linked to this blog is a fabulous website that allows you to print and read about many additives in our foods and their safety levels and what should be avoided.  It may change the way you look at what you are eating – check it out at www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Other great resources that I love are tracking sites.  You can log in to these and enter in the foods that you’re eating, track your exercise, and they will give you a picture of the amount of calories and nutrition on your intake, as well as the calories burned during exercise.  With these tools, you can begin to monitor how – what you are eating effects the amount of exercise you need to reach your goal weight.  A “watched pot may never boil” – but tracking numbers like these lead to results.  My personal favorite of the two websites is WWW.Livestrong.com/myplate, or www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx will offer you similar functions.

It’s so easy to get caught up into the zombie zone of weight loss – and kudos to you for deciding to make a change and becoming a healthier you – but don’t forget that the one who created you – adores you – and he wants you to know how much you are loved every single day – just as you are.  View yourself through God’s eyes, worship him and love him – and he will give you all the help you need to reach your dreams.

Daddy, You created us to be healthy and happy and loved.  In the name of Jesus, I pray that we be blessed with your strength and power to change things in our lives that are making us unhealthy, and allowing negativity into our lives.  Help us to heal, help us to grow, and most of all, help us to feel your love radiating within our hearts as we grow closer to you – I declare over my body that it is a temple of the Holy Spirit and I will honor you by co-laboring with you to make myself healthy and whole.  Enlighten me to make good choices, and bring me peace.  Help me to view myself from your eyes daddy, you call me beautiful, you call me perfect, you call me beautifully and wonderfully made, help me to believe those words.  In Jesus name Amen!