Start Your New Life Today Part 19

CHAPTER 78.

Receive G.o.d's Love Above all, we need to concentrate on receiving the gift G.o.d offers to us every day-His love. His love heals all our wounds and hurts and makes us whole. Once we know how much G.o.d loves us, we can begin to love ourselves in a balanced way and then we in turn get to pa.s.s it on to others. Receiving G.o.d's love is an important step, because we cannot love others without it. We cannot give away what we do not have.

As we begin our new lives in G.o.d, we have much to learn and always remembering G.o.d loves us will help us receive His correction as a good thing. Love is the greatest gift that can be given, and it is offered to each of us every day, yet few of us have the faith to accept it.

Nothing frustrates me more than people who don't know how to accept gifts. It's a joy to express my love or appreciation to someone by giving them a gift I know they'll like. But if the response is, "No, no, I can't accept that," or "Really, you shouldn't have," or "No, take it back," that drains all the joy out of it. It becomes downright embarra.s.sing if you have to force a gift on someone. You can even begin to wonder if you should have offered the gift at all.

Those who are uncomfortable getting gifts usually have some deep-seated insecurity that prevents them from accepting others' kindness. We often respond the same way to G.o.d's free gift of love. Because we have low self-esteem and deep-seated insecurities, we cannot imagine that a perfect G.o.d could love an imperfect us. That att.i.tude can prevent us from receiving what G.o.d is offering. I must admit I don't know why G.o.d loves me and wants to have an intimate relationship with me, but His Word says He does and I accept it by faith. Being willing to do that has changed my life, and it will change yours too.

G.o.d wants to do many things for each of us. He has gifts prepared for us that we will be unwrapping the rest of our lives. The Bible says, "What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] G.o.d has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Receiving is an action. It isn't pa.s.sive. You must make the decision to reach out and grab it. Think of a wide receiver catching a pa.s.s in football. He isn't called the wide target. He doesn't just stand there and wait for the quarterback to stick the ball in his hand. No, he wants that ball. He goes after it like a dog after a bone. He'll do anything to get it.

That's how you need to be toward receiving G.o.d's love. Be pa.s.sionate about it. Go after it. Study G.o.d's love. Meditate on it. As you seek it eagerly, you will receive a revelation deep in your heart that will be life changing. Learn how to receive G.o.d's great gift of love every day and how to give it to others.

For years I desperately wanted to be a good Christian, to give my love to others and have them love me back to help fill the emptiness I felt inside. Yet it never quite worked. I couldn't understand why, and I became frustrated with myself and others. Why was I unable to walk in love? Why weren't people giving me the love I needed? Then I finally realized I had never received G.o.d's love-never reached for it. I never liked myself, always feeling unworthy of any gift, much less one as immense as G.o.d's love! I made the commitment, opened my heart, and let G.o.d rush in with His healing love. Then and only then was I able to love myself, to walk in and enjoy His perfect love, and to give my love to Him and others.

All we have to do is open our hearts and make the decision to receive it. If we never lose sight of G.o.d's amazing love, we will be able to enjoy our journey with Him. As G.o.d convicts us of things that need to change we set goals for ourselves.

If your goal is to lose fifty pounds and you lose two pounds the first week, should you get discouraged because you are forty-eight pounds heavier than you want to be? No. You say, "Hallelujah, what a great week!" and continue with your plan. Think about your successes rather than your failures. Maybe you ate a little too much today, but the good news is you didn't eat as much as you used to before beginning your new journey toward lifetime health and wholeness. Perhaps you intended to walk thirty minutes but got started late and could only do twenty minutes. Don't feel that you are a failure and should have done better; remember when you did not exercise at all and be happy for your progress. Having this positive att.i.tude toward your progress will breed more progress.

What matters is not where you are, or how far away your destination is, but the direction you are headed. Be proud of today. Live one day at a time. Don't look at how far you have to go; look at how far you have come. As Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). Do everything you can to make the day a success, and when it is, allow yourself some deep satisfaction in the evening.

What matters is not where you are, or how far away your destination is, but the direction you are headed.

Concentrate on making right choices. Every right choice is one more step toward your destination. Be excited that you are heading in the right direction. It is right to feel good about your progress, rather than bad about how far you still have to go.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6 to put on the helmet of salvation, meaning we are to be full of hope and expectation. Learn to be positive about everything. Now that you have begun a new life in Christ, one of the benefits is you can think about everything in a new way. The more you renew your mind and learn to think like G.o.d does, the more you will enjoy His good plan for you (see Romans 12:2).

CHAPTER 79.

Curb Your Spiritual Hunger There are some things in life we can't control, and some of those things bring us pain. Illness or injury brings physical pain. Other people can say or do cruel things that cause us emotional pain. And sometimes it doesn't take people at all; circ.u.mstances can deal us a bad hand and cause a lot of pain and suffering. Not all of these events are necessarily traumatic. Lots of small hurts in our lives can add up to a general state of sadness or low-grade despair. Sometimes the simple lack of stimulation or loved ones in our lives can contribute to boredom and loneliness, which can be some of the hardest emotional suffering to endure.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could control the people and circ.u.mstances in our lives and avoid pain entirely? It's a natural wish; n.o.body likes pain. Unfortunately, none of us have that control. We all have to live the life we have, and through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we can enjoy our lives whether our circ.u.mstances suit us or not.

Even if we can't control all of our circ.u.mstances, one thing we do have control over is our att.i.tude. What is your att.i.tude toward food? Do you give it a place of importance that is out of balance? Do you live to eat or eat to live? We can control what we put into our bodies.

I am sure you don't need me to convince you of the dangers of smoking, or the terrible cost of addiction to drugs and alcohol. We're all aware that such substances are pleasure shortcuts. They are actually a way of avoiding the real issues that need to be dealt with. When you don't have inner contentment, it becomes all too easy to go for the quick rush of pleasure provided by these vices-even if such pleasure is short-lived and comes with the chronic pain, suffering, and illness of addiction.

But people are less aware that food can play the same role. If I'm feeling down and I eat a candy bar, I feel better for a moment. Not long-the good sensation lasts only a fleeting instant after I swallow it-but fortunately there's another candy bar after that one. And another after that. And even if the candy runs out and my depression returns, there's that pint of ice cream in the fridge for just such emergencies. When the ice cream is gone, there is the chocolate cake or the pie. When we turn to food for comfort, we establish a pattern that is unhealthy and even dangerous-and still leaves us without the comfort we seek.

Food addiction is easy, because food doesn't come with the same stigmas as drugs or alcohol. Unlike those vices, food has a legitimate-even essential-role in health. Only when it slips into overuse does it become a problem. But it's so easy to get to that point! Food is reliable. Unlike spouses, friends, or great weather, it is always there. But that's the problem. Any time we are feeling spiritually empty, whether through sadness, depression, or boredom, it's easy to reach for food to fill that void. Soon, we are mistaking spiritual hunger for physical hunger, and food becomes the immediate answer to any drop in well-being.

You know where this leads. The more you try to treat your spiritual longing with food or other feel-good stimuli, the greater your soul's cry for spiritual nourishment will be. The greater your disease will become.

The more you try to treat your spiritual longing with food or other feel- good stimuli, the greater your soul's cry for spiritual nourishment will be. The greater your disease will become.

You can learn healthy behaviors. For example, reducing stress will help you curb your spiritual hunger. But it is important to learn and practice going to G.o.d for what you need instead of using a subst.i.tute such as food in trying to ease the pain or find comfort, or instead of being honest before Him about your real need. Fortunately, G.o.d is the source of true comfort and is always there when you need Him. Unlike bad food or drugs He doesn't leave you overweight, sick, or lethargic. He freely gives His comfort. The "Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the G.o.d [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble" (2 Corinthians 1:34) is always there to provide healing of the root cause leading to unhealthy desires in addition to providing the true comfort we need.

When I am hurting, I have learned to run to G.o.d first, instead of another person or substance. I'm not saying this is automatic. It took me years to get this straight, and I still sometimes have to remind myself that what I truly need is spiritual nourishment. But learning this habit will do more to keep your mind and body sound and your life on an even keel than anything I know. Your spirit needs to be nourished just like your body does. Don't wait until you have a crisis in your life to start feeding it. Nourish yourself spiritually first.

CHAPTER 80.

Stay Active Activity is important not only for weight control and healthy bodies but also for happiness. I believe that inactivity, laziness, and pa.s.sivity are some of the culprits behind depression and feelings of dissatisfaction. I find that if I am feeling unhappy one of the things that will help is to simply do something. It helps me get my mind off myself and gets my blood flowing. The Bible tells a story of ten virgins waiting for their bridegroom to come. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones stayed alert and spent time getting extra oil for their lamps so they would not go out in case the bridegroom was slow in coming, but the foolish did nothing. They were inactive and lazy, and they did nothing extra so when the bridegroom came they were unprepared and missed their opportunity (see Matthew 25:113). You may not be able to change your circ.u.mstances, but you can change your habits. Don't let yourself live in ways that allow you to be excessively inactive. Rebel against too much convenience.

Don't let yourself live in ways that allow you to be excessively inactive. Rebel against too much convenience.

To be honest, I think Satan has put one over on us. He has made everything so easy and comfortable and convenient it's killing us. We think we are saving time and effort, but we are really losing strength and energy. Doing work, staying active, is not bad. Don't try to avoid it. We want drive-through service for as many things in life as possible, but the trouble is, there is no drive-through good health! Starting today, take steps to make your life a little less convenient and a little more active.

Here are just a few ideas for how to do that: * Take the stairs. Every time you skip the elevator and walk up a flight, you burn calories, tone some of the muscles you care most about toning, and wake yourself up too.

* Don't waste time looking for the closest parking s.p.a.ce. Purposely park so you have to walk a little.

* Walk as much as possible. Think of ways you can get in a little extra walking.

* Don't procrastinate. When you think of a job that needs doing, get up and do it.

* Choose activities that force you to move. Try gardening, sweeping the driveway, dance cla.s.ses, or mall walking.

* When you watch TV, get up and stretch periodically. Do the same thing at work.

* Sometimes try putting your TV in front of a treadmill and slowly walking while you watch. Go slow enough you aren't distracted. You'll be surprised how quickly it feels natural.

* Keep two five-pound exercise b.a.l.l.s or weights in a convenient place where you will see them. Several times a day stop and do a short routine to exercise your upper body. It only takes a minute or two and it loosens up tight muscles.

Try incorporating ways of moving more in your daily life. You'll feel better and be better equipped to serve G.o.d and others in your new life!

CHAPTER 81.

Power Up!

Whenever the word exercise is mentioned, lots of people groan. I'll tell you a secret: I used to groan too! My husband tried to get me to exercise regularly for years and I just hated it. Walking on a treadmill was boring to me, and I always made excuses of being too busy. (We should stop saying, "I don't have the time" regarding exercise, because what we really mean is, "That thing falls too far down on my priority list.") One day as I was looking at myself in the mirror I sensed G.o.d saying in my heart that I needed to get on a good exercise program if I wanted to be strong for what He has called me to do. Dave telling me to exercise seemed to aggravate me, but when G.o.d told me it had a different effect on me. I went to a gym and started working with a trainer, and it has been one of the single best things I have ever done in my life. My energy level is amazing, and I lost almost two pant sizes, which would make any woman happy.

Fortunately, gyms don't have a monopoly on exercise. There are thousands of ways to get good exercise, and most don't cost a lot of money, require special equipment, or sidetrack your day. Exercise can be something you look forward to doing if you find what is right for you. Perhaps walking is what you enjoy, or golf or tennis. Maybe you prefer to exercise at home by yourself or would enjoy being in an aerobics cla.s.s. There are lots of choices, but the bottom line is we need to be active. You might wear a little gadget that measures the steps you take every day. It can become a goal to walk five thousand steps or more each day. I am convinced that G.o.d will customize a plan for you if you are willing to do it. In addition to traditional exercise, make an effort to keep your body active in as many small ways as possible.

Sometimes it is a good choice not to use every convenience offered to us. Some forced "inconveniences" are necessary because today we use our bodies so little. We have an abundance of appliances requiring no more than the push of a b.u.t.ton to operate. Very few of us have jobs that involve exercise, and most of our leisure activities are spent with our feet up too. This is a new development, and a potentially deadly one. Human beings were made to exercise. Our bodies are fit together with joints because G.o.d expected we would be moving a lot.

Human beings were made to exercise. Our bodies are fit together with joints because G.o.d expected we would be moving a lot.

We don't read in the Bible about Noah's workout routine or Moses' Pilates session, because everything they did in life involved exercise. Before vehicles, electricity, and machines, everything in the world was run by human power or animal power. If you wanted to get somewhere, you walked. If you needed to bring something with you, you carried it. You did laundry by hand, chopped your own firewood, and ground your own grain. This physically active lifestyle may have been one of the reasons for the incredible longevity of these biblical characters.

The best walker of all may have been Jesus. He routinely walked from His home in Galilee to Jerusalem-a distance of about 120 miles! Over the course of His ministry, He must have walked thousands of miles. In Jesus' day people thought little of walking ten miles. And because they did it all their lives, they had the well-developed bodies to accomplish such long walks with ease. Once when I was in Moscow, I noticed most people were slender. When I asked why, I was informed that most of them had no automobiles and walked everywhere they went.

Even as recently as 1920, people in American towns and cities walked on average nearly two miles to and from work or school, in addition to whatever exercise they got while working. That walk alone burned about two hundred calories per day, which is worth twenty pounds a year in lost weight. When we traded in our daily walk for the convenience of a car, we didn't realize we were getting twenty pounds in the bargain.

The benefit of weight-loss and a better appearance is just the tip of the iceberg. Just a few of the conditions you can help prevent through exercise are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, arthritis, asthma, depression, and gastrointestinal ills. You'll get fewer colds, feel less stress, and look great too. Less fat, more muscle, better tone, straighter posture.

Great things happen when your sneaker hits the pavement and your heart starts pounding.