I was at the gym and I recognized something that stops many of us right in our tracks when it comes to success in weight loss. We see success through the culture's eyes instead of through God's eyes. Wow, that is a perspective changer! You mean to tell me it doesn't matter what others think, all that matters is what God thinks?
On my journey in weight loss one thing kept me down forever and that was my BMI or Body Mass Index. I was reminded today on the Wii fit that my BMI was over 30 and that according to it I am obese. Oddly enough, I have around 21% body fat and weigh to date somewhere in the 219-220 range. I would challenge any doctor to consider me obese at this point! You see BMI is an intelligent formula devised by man to determine when a person is not fit. The problem is that man has to be able to quantify things, and as science has proven over and over, we cannot figure everything out. We can only understand so much, which is why He is God and we are not.
I was talking to a fellow Christian brother and noticed that we are stuck in a culture that judges weight loss by the number of pounds we lose. No doubt many of us can afford to lose some pounds, but what are we losing? Are we losing lean muscle or are we losing body fat? Muscle weighs more than fat, therefore when we gain muscle and lose fat many times our body weight does not change. For me, if I stayed in the 210-220 range I would be happy. What I want to do is reduce my body fat. For a male my age (38), a healthy body fat range is 15-21%.
I have discovered this principle has held me back in my spiritual life as well. Many of you have seen the hypocrisy of religion, especially in the Christian faith. For some this may be the reason you are avoiding a relationship with Christ. People are all trying to breakdown Christianity to an understandable level. The thought is that we must understand everything, the theology, how things work, and so on. The issue is that we spend so much time figuring this stuff out (which I might add never happens) and too little time living the life that God calls us to.
You have all heard the saying that words are cheap and actions speak a thousand words. Well, Jesus told us all that we will be identified by the fruits that we bear. Are we bearing fruit? I guess I am saying this because the concept that it only matters what God thinks should apply here. Are we taking our walk with Jesus lightly because others are not walking and bearing fruit? Are you not working on being healthier because some man-made formula or a twisted concept in your mind discourages you? Are you not pouring yourself out for God because others who are preceived as cool or popular are not pouring themselves out? Are you not taking a relationship with Christ to the next level because you need to quantify your theological point of view?
It might sound like a slogan from a famous shoe company but I will say it. JUST DO IT! Do not worry about what others think! Accept the encouragement from them but reject any discouragement! The only thing that matters is what God thinks, and according to the Bible in Psalm 139 it says that you were beautifully and wonderfully made, that God knit you together in a secret place, that you have never been hidden from God and that in fact He has written every day of your life in His book before one came to be. He cares about you fiercely, will you pursue Him fearlessly?
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