The Real Battle
What battles do you face when trying to adapt to a healthier lifestyle? Is it trying to find the right recipes? Or maybe finding the time and energy to exercise? Perhaps it is getting enough sleep at night or drinking enough water throughout the day? While all these things can be challenging, perhaps they are simply “symptoms” of the problem. Figuring out what the source of a problem is the best way to deal and resolve a situation. While a new recipe book, an energy drink or a fashionable water bottle seem like quick “fixes”, they do not deal with the source of the battle: The Battle of the Will.
THE PURPOSE
The first point to identify is “Why” do you want to have a healthier lifestyle? Is it to fit into last year’s pants or to feel better about yourself? Maybe it’s so that you can play with the kids without getting out of breath or to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure . While these are all motivators and not wrong in and of themselves, do they possess enough motivation to withstand the 8 p.m. munchies? Without an underlying clear sense of motivation, it is much harder to stay the course in good times and hard ones. Many diets and fitness plans use guilt as motivation, but that never works in the long run. You can guilt yourself into doing anything short-term, but the change will last only as long as the guilt does. In contrast, Love has amazing powers way beyond the power of guilt (fear). In 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says, “(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. It is love, not fear or guilt, and not peer pressure , that causes us to keep going when we feel like giving up.
Lasting changes begins with committing your body to God. We are commanded to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” to God. We are not to copy the behavior of the world around us, but to be transformed into a new “person” by changing the way you think - renewing your mind (Romans 12:1-2). There is a strong mind-body connection here. What you do with your body sets the tone for everything else. Physical health influences your mental health, your emotional health, and your relational health.
- Your Body Belongs To God.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:13
- God expects me to take care of my body.
I am not the owner of my body, but simply the manager of it. The word manager in the Bible is steward. Taking care of my body is an issue of spiritual stewardship. God tells us that one day we will have to give an account for how well we managed everything He gave me – including my body. We are taught to be good stewards of our money, of our time and of our talents. Shouldn’t we also invest in being good stewards of our bodies?
Ask yourself why you must be healthy. Is it to live God’s will? To have great health and mental clarity? Or to be a great role model for someone you love? Once you know why you care, why you must be healthy, your motivation literally provides the fuel for staying focused.
THE POWER
You need God’s power, not just will power to change. Without God’s power in your life, you are just running on your own energy. I’m not disciplined enough to persist and change into the woman God desires me to be. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13. To be the best “me” I can be, requires mental clarity, stamina, and healthy emotions. Perhaps we aren’t successful in making lasting healthy choices because we haven’t tapped into our power source – God’s power. We weren’t designed to make life changes on our own. It’s like having a laptop unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and the laptop will shut down. Why would we live like that when God created you for so much more?
If you find yourself tired all the time, one reason may be that you are trying to solve all your problems, fulfill your responsibilities and make all your changes on your own. One clue that this may be happening is when you worry more than you pray. God offers you access to His unlimited power plant. All you need to do is plug in. God understands you better than you understand yourself. He knows what makes you tick, what makes you energized and what causes you fatigued and makes you sick. God has been there every moment of your life. He cares about every detail, including your health. So why would you attempt to get healthy – something God clearly desires for you – without relying on Him? "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14.
THE PLAN
While making right food choices, exercising, drinking water and getting adequate rest are essential to a healthy body, there is something else required for a healthy life.
If you change your mind, your behavior will follow. Change is a matter of choice. Choosing to change your perspective is your first responsibility to getting healthy. The Bible teaches that the way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act. If you are serious about changing your life in any significant way, you are going to have get into the Bible. This is the first habit you must adapt. This means reading it, memorizing it, meditating on it and applying it. "The just shall live by faith". Romans 1:17 It is necessary to grow in your faith by filling your mind with the truth of God’s Word. If you struggle where to begin reading in God’s Word, I’ve have some great tips to help you get started. When you begin to renew your mind through God’s Word, and you replace old lies, false ideas and misconceptions with Truth, it will set you free from the habits and hang-ups that limit your life. Your actions will naturally begin to align with your new attitudes.
Learn to depend on God’s Spirit to guide you, strengthen you, empower you, and use you is the second habit you must develop for spiritual strength. To develop a vibrant, life-giving relationship with Christ takes time, takes talking and takes trust. Developing a constant conversation with God is key. Pray shouldn’t end with our morning quiet time – it should be the beginning of a conversation that lasts all day. If you are not talking to God throughout your day, you aren’t depending on Him. If you aren’t depending on Him, then you are doing your day in your own strength. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
We aren’t designed to live life and make changes in our own power. The real battle is submitting our will to God, humbly admitting we “can’t” on our own, allowing Him to work in us and staying connecting to His power Supply. To reach optimum health, you MUST pay attention to the spiritual dimensions of your life.
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31
--Rick Warren, Daniel Amen M.D. and Mark Hyman M.D., "The Daniel Plan"; Zondervan