Thursday, August 18, 2016

What does Commitment LOOK like?

Ask me anything you want about diet, health, losing weight, and exercise and I will know the answer.  I know all the rules, benefits, and drawbacks to all the most popular diets. I know exactly how many calories I should consume in a day. I can tell you how many points are in any given meal. I can tell you how to build muscle, burn fat, get lean, and get skinny. I know the proper way to lift weights, which muscle groups to work together, how long to rest, and what to eat/drink after a workout. I can give you a detailed breakdown of what to expect when you fast, and discuss at length the benefits of the practice of  Intermittent Fasting. I can have an intelligent conversation with anyone at anytime about nutrition, exercise, dieting, and overall health. I have studied it at great length. I've been a member of a gym for over 15 years. The membership I have gives me access to 3 gym locations so that I can workout no matter what part of town I am working in on any given day. I don't bother with these new pop-up gyms with the fancy commercials. "My" gym is full of meat head body builders. The pool is designed for swimming laps (not sunbathing). The air is filled with the sounds of clanging weights, and smells like... sweat and chlorine. There is a Physical Therapist on sight, but it does not have a spa.
 
Annnnnnd
 
I am 80 pounds overweight. That's no exaggeration. I am 5'9'', 43 years old, and I weigh 240pounds. My "normal" healthy weight is 160. Do the math. 80 pounds. Now, everything I told you about what I know about health and fitness is absolutely true and also not exaggerated. I KNOW how to be healthy, fit, and trim. I have all the tools at my disposal to be completely in shape.
 
But I don't apply any of it. I KNOW what to do...but I do the opposite. I WANT to be in shape, but I don't DO anything to make that happen.
 
I am bearing my soul, being brutally honest, and offering up my greatest insecurity for one reason... change the focus from exercise, health, and dieting to Church, Christianity, and Jesus.
 
I know too many people who can quote scripture, have been a member of a church for years, are on committees, do mission work, can give you the long list of the sins of the world, can tell you all the reasons God isn't pleased with you and the ways you need to clean up your life. They can give you links to sermons on You Tube, post scripture on their Face  Book and tweet encouraging thoughts throughout the day but there is no tangible evidence of Jesus in their lives. They are no different than me and the whole gym, exercise, diet situation.
 
The Fruit of exercise and healthy diet is excellent blood pressure, strong muscles, healthy heart rate, good cholesterol, good circulation, healthy skin, low body fat, strong bones, and a trim figure. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
 
If I am committed to the things that I know will make me healthy, it will be obvious to anyone who sees me. It will be obvious that I am someone who takes care of her body. People will see it. I won't have to tell them that I am fit. It will be obvious. Same with a being Christian. If I am committed to following Christ, Committed to submitting to His Lordship, then it will be obvious to anyone who sees me. My life will be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. I wont have to tell them that I am a Christian...they will know, by my fruit.
 
Now, just seeing that I am healthy will not make someone else healthy. I will have to invest time with them and help them along to become healthy. I will need to walk with them as they work toward becoming obviously healthy themselves. Same with a Christian. Just seeing that I am a Christian is not going to make someone else a Christian. I will need to invest time with them to help guide them as they get to know Christ. I will need to walk with them, guide them, encourage them and challenge them and they become obviously Christian themselves.
 
I know too many people who say about Church the things that I say about diet and exercise...
"I'm not getting any results"
In almost every case, their commitment to their relationship with Christ is much like my commitment to diet and exercise...they KNOW what to do, but they aren't committed to actually DO it.
 
In both cases, you don't get the full benefit unless you are 100% committed.