I hate exercise.
I seriously hate to
exercise…until I start exercising. Then I feel great! Did I just describe
you? I have female clients who can hit
the gym [with gusto] for 2 hours at a time. Other women I work with are yoga
instructors, [not just plain yoga, but the 90 minute, intense hot
yoga!] or runners. Then of course there are the women who come to see me
because they just can’t get a handle on their cravings. Some cannot will
themselves to go for a walk or drink 60 oz. of water a day. Can I tell you the difference between those two
groups of women? Not much.
Honestly.
Both groups have
self-esteem issues and insecurities they struggle with. Yes, even the women who
have 18% body fat and wear a size 2. Want to know why? This is a secret I have
learned from hours in the office listening to women pour their hearts out, plus
through my own struggle with acceptance and confidence.
We have all allowed the wrong messages take root in our
being.
You’re only pretty
when you’re thin
You’re too big to be
sexy
If you have arm flab
you look old
Buns of steel are
healthier
If you can’t lose
weight you’re a failure!
You’re lazy if you're not
active like the other girls your age
I’m sure you can fill in a lot more of those wrong messages
from the recesses of your memory. Where
did these come from and how in the world did they get stuck in our head?
Well, some of them came from a parent [are you happy with your weight? Remember that one?]. Others may
have come from entertainment media, weight loss programs, magazines, even
friends or God forbid a spouse!
How did they get stuck in our head?
They struck us at that moment when our eyes were on the
water and not on Jesus.
Remember Peter when he was going to join Jesus walking on
the water? As long as he has his eyes fixed on Jesus he did just fine—walking tall
across that water, full of confidence. But when he looked around at the storm
he became insecure and afraid. What happened? He started to sink.
We do that.
Oh, our confidence is strong and we are finding
our beauty in the acceptance of our Savior but then we start to look around at
the other women. Maybe our friend grabs a size 2 when we are struggling into a
10. Our sister brags about her latest weight loss and we
just want to hide and eat a bag of Oreos. We start to sink. We can’t hear the Spirit’s voice whispering
His approval and acceptance. We just hear the dressing room attendant’s
recommendation that we try on a bigger size.
How can we get unstuck?
Remember what Peter did?
He cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!”
My favorite part of that story is in verse 31 [Matthew 14].
It says, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him…”
Can I hear an Amen? Yes and Amen!
Developing a healthy body takes discipline. Not just
discipline to exercise and eat right but discipline to constantly keep our eyes
on Jesus. Remember, when you start to sink it’s because you’ve taken your eyes
off Him. Cry out and immediately He
will catch you!
I bless you my friend with knowing at the very core of your essence that you are a beautiful branch of the TRUE VINE. You are blessed because of the word He has spoken to you. You are blessed with abiding in Him as He abides in you. With Him all things are possible and when you abide in Him the Father is glorified. [John 15:1-6]
