Escape temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

We are all vulnerable to temptations and the devil knows exactly what they are. Imagine this scenario:

You are at your desk at work and are tempted to buy cookies from the vending machine. You have an apple in your desk that could ease your hunger better, but a voice whispers “You know you don’t want that.” So the movie begins.

You see yourself eating the cookies. You think about how the cookies will taste and how the sugar buzz will feel after you eat them. You dig in your pocket for change so that you can get those cookies. What happened? You’ve just been seduced by Temptation T.V.

Channel 666 on your mental dial, this channel broadcasts 24 hours a day and its programming caters to your food weaknesses. Its images appear even better than the real thing. But it never lives up to its advertising.

Whenever you find yourself being tempted, check to see if your mind is tuned into Channel 666. If so, think or say in faith, “Lord, I am being tempted. Your word says that I am able to bear this temptation and I believe your word. Show me the way out of this temptation right now and give me the strength to choose that path. I receive the escape and the strength right now in Jesus’ name.”

Whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do, then do it immediately. The more you tune in to the truth from God's word, the weaker the signals get from Channel 666.

Here is another tip: Do not keep foods in your house that tempt you. Think about a person that has a weakness for cookie binges. They keep some in their kitchen cabinet and are tempted to eat them. They think to themselves why doesn’t the Lord  just remove the temptation.

Well, I am sure the Lord told them that they needed to get rid of the cookies and that was the way He provided for her escape. Remember: The best way to win a fight is to avoid getting into one in the first place.

But if you must face temptations, then combat them with God's word and look for the escape route. God has prepared the path for you - all you have to do is take it!

Dear Lord, thank You for the escape You give us when we are tempted. Help us to turn for the evil one and put our trust in You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Stay disciplined

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV)

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

A couple years ago I made up my mind that I want to be a super-fit 55 year-old. I have a few years before I reach that age (God willing), but there is no time like the present to get started.

Since I have certain physical limitations instead of joining a fitness club I chose to start walking each day and watching how much I ate. It was my goal to walk between 3 and 5 miles a day. Some days were very hard.

But I did it because being fit and healthy is important to me. I want a disciplined body because I want to stay qualified for my life’s purpose.

In today’s scripture, Paul talks about disciplining his body and bringing it under subjection. When something is under subjection, that means that something else controls it.

In the case of your body, your mind is supposed to control what it does. But too often, we fail to exercise that authority!

A vivid example of that was played out in the media not too long ago.

A well-known athlete cheated on his wife with multiple women. Even though he disciplined his mind to excel in his sport, he failed to discipline his mind to resist temptation.

And because of this, his body led him into a situation that hurt his wife, damaged his family, and caused him to lose respect from those who admired him.

When it comes to your weight loss goals, you too must be careful to be a person of integrity, which means wholeness. You keep your word to yourself and others. And your actions match your words.

I’ve seen many examples of people who say that being healthy and getting fit is important to them, yet they act in ways that will bring them the exact opposite result. It seriously damages your confidence and esteem when you say one thing and do another.

So today, resolve to go to the other side of hard by disciplining your body. It starts with disciplining your mind. You can control your thinking and direct your thoughts where you want your body to go.

If you keep your eyes on the prize, you will win and stay qualified for the purpose to which God has called you!

Dear Lord, we pray today that we would discipline our minds to stay focused with the goals before us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Embrace the Grace

Romans 6:14 (ESV)

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

I have read on Facebook something that saddens and that is people who condemn themselves because of their obese state.

And because they condemn themselves and others have condemned them, they think that God must condemn them too.

Nothing could be further from the truth! God is about restoration, not condemnation. He sees differently than human beings see. Think of it like x-ray vision. God can look right past your body, straight into your heart and mind.

He sees all the invisible thoughts and behaviors that contributed to your physical results. And He has the ability to help you change them.

If you have been condemning yourself for your weight gain and generally being unforgiving to yourself then I believe it saddens God. Why? Because through His grace, He has set you free from garbage thinking. Continuing to put yourself down plays straight into the hands of the enemy.

The enemy wants you to be so condemned and discouraged that you get deeper into bondage. But sin no longer has dominion over you. The only power it has is that which you choose to give it.

Remember who your Father is. In your weight loss journey, think restoration not condemnation. Forgive yourself for your past; after all there is nothing you can do about it.

The body you have now is just a snapshot of the choices you made in the past. The choices you make now will determine the body in which you will live in the future.

A necessary part of embracing health is embracing grace. In that way, you can walk in freedom and newness of life, which is the gift that Christ died to give you.

Dear Lord, help us to not condemn our self or others for their weight. Help us to walk in the newness of life found in You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Keep on running

2 Samuel 22:30 (ESV)

For by you I can run against a troop,

    and by my God I can leap over a wall.

I remember watching Superman as a young man and thinking how cool it was how quickly and easily Clark Kent turned into Superman. Pretty much the transformation was instant.

Wouldn't it be cool if losing weight was like that? All you would have to do is spin around, God would zap you, and all of the weight would disappear. But it doesn’t happen that way.

Instead God gives you the endurance to run against troops and leap over walls. That’s what King David discovered.

David wrote in the scripture after God delivered him from King Saul, who had been trying to kill him for years. Even though David had defeated Goliath and God had anointed him King over Israel, he still had to fight battles before he could claim what was his.

A strong, healthy body is yours. But you will have to fight for it. Scripture tells us that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12).

God has strengthened you with the endurance to run against troops, like your habits of the past.

The way you can run with endurance is by giving yourself a vision of what you are running toward, keeping a clear picture of your future healthy self in your mind’s eye at all times.

God has given you the ability to leap over walls, like your fears and limiting beliefs.

For example, you might have the fear of failure to leap over. But if you consider failure as a learning opportunity to grow, then you never fail.

Or you might have a fear of success. You might fear if you lost weight, you wouldn't fit in with family or friends anymore.

But leap over that fear by recognizing that every person is responsible for him or herself. The best thing you can do for them is to be a good example and demonstrate that there is a better way to live.

Dear Lord, help us to recognize that You have given extraordinary abilities to us.  Help us every morning by faith use them in our daily decisions.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Build your house

Proverbs 14:1 (ESV)

The wisest of women builds her house,

    but folly with her own hands tears it down.

When I read Proverbs 14:1, I can’t help but think about the story of the three little pigs. In the story, the big, bad wolf was hungry for a pork sandwich and he knew where the three little pigs lived.

He went to the 1st pig’s house, which was made of straw, and begged for the pig to let him in. But the little pig would not, so he huffed and puffed and blew the straw house in. But the 1st pig escaped by running to 2nd pig’s house.

Then the wolf came to the 2nd pig’s house, which was made of sticks. But the 2nd pig wouldn’t let the wolf in either. So the wolf huffed and puffed and blew the stick house in. But the two little pigs escaped and ran to the 3rd pig’s house.

Then the wolf came to the 3rd pig’s house, which was made of bricks. He asked the 3rd pig to let him in but the 3rd pig would not either. So the wolf huffed and puffed and blew with all his might. But the brick house stood.

The wolf blew all day but the house never budged. Finally the hungry wolf went away, determined get an easier meal elsewhere.

Is your house (body) made of straw, sticks, or bricks? Your body is only as strong and healthy as the materials you put into it. Your body turns the food you eat into your bones, blood, skin, liver, and other organs in your body.

Wouldn’t you have more confidence in a body built on lean protein, vegetables, and fruits than one built on Twinkies, Ho-Hos, and candy bars?

Now I am not saying that you can’t eat such items, but if you want to lose weight and live according to Christian health principles, then I wouldn’t advise a regular diet of them.

My goal is to eat healthy 90% of the time or more, saving the other 10% for the other stuff. You get in trouble health-wise when the percentages are reversed!

With your hands, you have the ability to feed yourself with foods that turn you into a brick house.

Make it your goal today to be a wise person by building your house with the highest quality building materials, which is eating foods as close as possible to the way God made them.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the bodies that You have given to us. Help us to take care of them and build them up to be strong eating the things that are healthy. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Choose Life

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV)

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

The other day I read an interesting fact. Every day, we have to make over 200 choices that impact our health and weight…choices like what to eat, whether to exercise, how to respond to stressful situations, and others.

It was hard for me to fathom the number was that high, so for one day, I decided to count the choices I had to make that would impact my health and weight. I counted over 75 choices. I was still surprised because I was thinking that it would only be around 30. That is a lot of choices to make in one day!

The scary thing is that most of us make these health choices without thinking about them…influenced by advertising, other people, or just simply repeating the habits of our past.

But there is a bright side. You have between 75-200 opportunities every day that can change your health for the better. Every choice moves you closer to where you want to be. That is…if you choose wisely.

In today’s verse, we are advised to cling to God because He is life and the length of your days. Without God, it is impossible to gain the wisdom we need to apply health knowledge to our unique situation. Plus, only God knows about the mental strongholds that may be sabotaging our good intentions – and only He gives you the power to take them down!

So today, let us make a conscious decision to choose life regarding your health. Decide that we are determined to be strong and healthy no matter what. And then seek God’s wisdom in every choice that we make. That way, you can live to the fullest and inspire others to do the same.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would make wise decisions when it comes to our health. Help us to always seek Your wisdom. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Putting Your Trust in the Master Healer

Luke 7:21 (NIV)

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

Dan needed a new heart. The one he had was worn out, but he died before receiving it. Frank only needed a new valve. He got it, and the operation was successful. But the recovery wasn't. He contracted Mercer and died in the hospital.

Fred was dying from a life threatening disease. I prayed with him, he asked Jesus to forgive his sins, but it didn't keep him alive. John was succumbing to the effects of old age. Mark was a dialysis patient tired of the weekly trips. He decided not to go anymore and ten days later took his final breaths.

Jairus' daughter was dying. He did the only thing he knew to do. Then a leader of the local synagogue…arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. "My little daughter is dying," he said (Mark 5:22-23 NLT).

Facing illnesses involves realizing they respect no one. Jairus' important position didn't prevent sickness in his family. Nor does obeying God wart off infection, disease or death, but trusting God is essential when all three assault us. Jesus advised Jairus not to fear but to trust instead. Fear and faith are strange bedfellows, and too much of either will shove the other onto the floor.

When enduring sickness, it's also important to realize ultimate healing is eternal not temporal. Jairus' daughter died before Jesus healed her. Though Jesus restored her temporally, she had experienced the complete healing of death. All sickness and disease will be forever mended in heaven. Learn to trust the master healer when you're facing sickness.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the power and peace that You give each of us.  Help us to trust You to care for our bodies and to deliver us from illness now and in eternity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Do You Have An Attitude of Gratitude?

Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

The Lord has done it this very day;

    let us rejoice today and be glad.

Many years ago, Dr. A. J. Cronin used to occasionally prescribe an unusual treatment for some of his patients who were feeling "blue," "down," or generally blah. He would insist that for six weeks the patient say "Thank you" for every kindness and keep a record of it. According to Dr. Cronin, he had a remarkable cure rate!

If you find yourself depressed, please consult your medical doctor. But everyone gets down at times, and sharpening your sense of gratitude can make an important difference in the way you feel.

Writer Arthur Gordon (Daily Guideposts, October 1983) told about asking a physician friend of his for the name of the most effective prescription he knew of.

"Well, I'll tell you," his friend said. "A colleague of mine once had a woman patient who suffered from depression. Got to the point where she stayed at home all the time, listless, apathetic, indifferent to just about everything. The usual medications didn't seem to help.

"One day this doctor delivered a small package to the woman's home. 'I want you to take what's in this package,' he said, 'and spend ten minutes of every day looking through it at some object in this room.'"

In the package there was a strong magnifying glass. The woman began looking through it at the warp and woof of the fabric on her sofa. She was amazed at what she saw! Then she examined the veins in a flower plucked from her garden, the color dots in an old photograph, and even the texture of her own skin. That was the turning point of her illness. She began to get well because the doctor and his 'prescription' had aroused the most curative of all emotions -- gratitude.

Sharpening your sense of gratitude may be the best health insurance of all!

Dear Lord, today we ask You that we would have an attitude of gratitude in all things. Have us be positive on all that comes our way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Can Use Everything.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Regina (Regi) Langworthy was a teen-age bride, and a mother by her eighteenth birthday. At 19, she had already divorced, and by age 21, she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. "What a start on life!" she says. Regi loved children and had wanted more. But it was not to be. The next several years were difficult as she worked at low-paying jobs and endured several surgeries. But her love for her little boy kept her going.

Then, things began to look more hopeful. Regi celebrated her 30th birthday cancer-free. And soon after, "I met the most wonderful man, and we married two years later," she says. "John Copenhaver had never been married, and had no children, and he knew that we would be unable to have any." It was a sorrow for both of them, but they accepted the situation.

Shortly after the wedding, Regi's brother became terminally ill, so Regi, John and her son moved to Florida to help support the family. By the time Regi's brother died, they had put down roots in the area, and decided to stay. Because Regi loved children so much, she opened a home-based day care for kids from newborn age to five years old, who were already in temporary protective custody. "Their parents were usually in drug and alcohol rehab," says Regi. "A lot of the time, abuse was also involved. It was both wonderful and heartbreaking to work with these children. The hardest part was releasing them to go back to abusive families. Many would return to protective services again and again."

Regi's day care business grew quickly. Along with her talent and love for these children, she was also open around the clock! ("From being a single mom, I realized that there were times when you have to work nights, and I usually had four steady "over-nighters.") A woman came in to assist in the early afternoons, and John helped in the evenings. "Our weekend outings always included one or more children too," Regi says. "But we didn't mind. We were very attached to all of them."

One morning Regi was asked to go to a shelter and observe a ten-month-old, born addicted to crack and thus developmentally handicapped. "Ivan cried all the time," Regi says. "But there was something in his eyes when he looked at me." Yes, she told the social workers. Although she had never taken a foster child, she would take Ivan. And over the next several months, Ivan learned that there was no need to cry. In his new home, there was love in abundance.

After several months, Ivan was allowed regular visits with his biological mother. But he always returned dirty-and again, crying. How could Regi stand by and watch Ivan's hard-won gains evaporate? God had always been with her as she cared for these special children, but now she prayed even harder that, in some way, this little boy would be saved. And soon her prayers were heard. Ivan's mother returned to drugs, and decided that since the courts would no doubt take him away from her eventually, she would rather give custody to Regi and John instead. "After much paperwork, he became our son!"

During this time, a female family member had left her eleven-month-old girl with Regi, "just temporarily." "Brandi was a chubby little girl who sat and looked through sad eyes, not talking or making any sounds," Regi recalls. Unbelievably, Brandi was eventually freed for adoption too, and she became their daughter!

Today Ivan is almost seventeen, a very normal young man, active in sports and on the honor roll. Brandi is almost sixteen, gets good grades, enjoys sports and is beautiful, says her proud mom. Both have known from the beginning about their backgrounds. All they really needed, says Regi, was security and love.

Regi still battles health problems, but as she looks back, she wouldn't change anything, not even her cancer. "I honestly believe that God knew there would be two babies who would need us as their parents, and He led us to them," she says. "Had I not been sick, I probably would have had a much different life. In its own way, the cancer was actually a blessing."

And in her own way, Regi lived by faith--and has made the world a better place.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the circumstances we go through in our life. We thank You that You can use them to make us into the person that You want us to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.