The Stepping Stone to Success
Relying On God's Power With Weight Loss
By: T.C. Morton
Everyday, I woke up and said, "Okay, today nothing is going to get in my
way. I will do 2 sets of exercises, and not eat junk food." Then, within hours, I failed.
I would just have that last bit of the kid's doughnut. Didn't want it to
go to waste. Then, right as I got myself ready to exercise my friend called and really needed someone to talk to.
I can't put my goals before others, that's not Biblical is it? So you guessed
it...I skipped the exercise.
Then I found the definition of endurance and I knew I couldn't fail at weight loss.
Endurance. The ability to withstand hardship or adversity. Without giving in. To remain firm under suffering or misfortune. (Webster, tenth edition)
When I look at that definition I realize that I can endure weight loss. In my past, I had witnessed my father being shot and stabbed, but I endured. I lived in an abusive relationship, but I endured. I suffered hardship, I traveled the journey of adversity, but through it all, my God sustained me, I kept my eyes focused on Jesus and I endured. Hebrews 12: 2 says "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus."
How could I survive tragedy and fail at my daily goals?
One, I lacked a plan for the goal and two, I focused my efforts on me, on others, and
on everything but Jesus! Looking back has taught me that the past is a perfect lesson plan for the future. Repeat the good and release the bad. Remember that God will use all things to glorify Him, and that includes bad things that happen, yes, even failures in our day to day life. Erwin W. Lutzer knew the importance that failing had to do with success when he wrote the book,
Failure: The back Door to Success. If we can look at our failures, we can realize where we went wrong.
On a daily basis, it's not important to escape failure, what's important is that you can ENDURE through it!
Here's how I changed my daily goals into daily habits.
1. Eating Goals. I planned my menu in advance. Remember to do everything through prayer and petition to the Lord. Right before bed, seek wisdom from God, pray and look though your eating guide (cook book, weight watchers, 40-30-30, etc) for the very next day. ONE DAY AT A TIME. Plan your meals until you can plan for an entire week. Start with a day because I found if I planned for the week and failed at one day, I gave up for the entire week.
2. Exercise Goals. Write the time, exact time, of exercise on your calendar. Pick a radio program or television program for exercise time. Pick a program that is uplifting, and positive. I try to remember that Jesus is with me always; He sees everything I see and everything I do. Would He approve of my tastes in shows? If so, great choice!
3. Don't do as I did and eat food instead of waste it. Get a dog and let him gain weight! Next, once your exercise goal is on the calendar, it's a date. Nothing interrupts you but God. If the phone rings, either talk and exercise, (hint: not that easy if your shooting for a good workout) or do as I did and tell all your friends that you have a goal to lose weight and in order to do so you have to set limitations during exercise time, those limitations mean no phone calls.
Finally, learning to accept ourselves in success and failure is part of learning who we are in Christ Jesus.
Understand that when we fail at weight loss or anything in life it, draws us one step closer to leaning on Christ as our support. That is the stepping stone to success!
T.C. (Cheri) Morton has been a member with WorkoutsForWomen.com for just under a year and has lost over 30 inches since February.
She lives in Minnesota where she works as a freelance writer, speaker, and a busy mom of four.
She operates a
publishing company out of her home and has successfully published an autobiography detailing her incredible childhood and the strength behind forgiveness. Her book is entitled
"Light Beyond the Darkness". Click here
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