"D" Does Not Stand for Diet

Life change is not an easy thing to accomplish. We are a very "set in stone" kind of people as a whole. There just aren't many of us who like change...especially a change that is going to involve exercise and eating less and more healthy! The "D" in D.I.E.T. has to stand for something that is going to allow us to want to change. It needs to be powerful enough to give us the courage and strength to follow through with our New Life Resolutions. The "D" in D.I.E.T. stands for Dedication-Honoring God with your Body! What should be more powerful than our dedication to our God? The correct answer is nothing. So exactly how can we do this, you might be wondering? By asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you as instructed in Galatians 5:16. Did you get that? You have to ask, but more importantly you have to allow the Holy Spirit to work. I personally am such a failure at that sometimes because I get too impatient! I ask and I might wait a while, but pretty soon if I haven't heard from Him, I start thinking too much and I start acting too soon. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength that only He can. Ask for those cravings to be tempered. Ask for a restful nights sleep so you have the energy to exercise. But don't forget your part...to ask God for something doesn't mean our work is done. Just the opposite is true, we have to work, but we do it with the strength that "rose Christ from the dead". (Phrase borrowed from my illustrious pastor :-)

Above I mentioned Galatians 5:16. This verse states, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature". Our flesh is so weak. We give in to cravings, wants, and excuses so easily! We can depend on the Holy Spirit for self control, but we have to know Him first. We have to know when to listen and how to discern Him from our feelings or wants. That can only happen if we open our Bibles and immerse ourselves. Think about it...can you truly know someone just from what you have heard from others? Of course not! Open the Bible and read what our Father says, know Him and He will speak to you.

Will you allow the Holy Spirit to control you? To discipline your emotion? It's not easy to give up that kind of control over yourself. It might be the only thing that will save you from yourself though. What emotions trigger you to eat? We all need to learn to go to our knees, not the refrigerator, when these emotions strike. What keeps you from walking, running, exercising? Go to your knees and ask God to help you overcome. Can you honor God with a fat, unhealthy, "can't walk up a flight of stairs" body? Should we try to? Doesn't He deserve our best, because the best is what He gave us?

So "D" most definitly does not stand for diet! But it could stand for "Dang it I am not going to fail this time, because I have God on my side!"