Whole & Healthy

Health and fitness — we hear a lot about it. In fact, we are bombarded with the subject every where we turn. Look at social media, television, magazines, and advertising! There are countless diet plans, meal plans, and exercise routines out there to choose from. There are weight loss pills, shakes and other concoctions on the market. With all the resources we have available to us, getting healthier and in shape should be easy; but for many of us, it is not. Real transformation that lasts is difficult! Here’s the thing: as a Christian, I know real change comes from a place that is far more than skin-deep. I know it starts at the heart of the matter. Real change and a real transformation begins, literally in our heart and in our mind. We are all made up of mind, body and spirit. All three make up who we are. Today I want to suggest to you that real change in the body has to start in our mind. I want to suggest to you that real change involves all three parts; and it is for a purpose! As believers and followers of Christ, we are supposed to be living out a mission in our lives to honor Christ and spread his love and share the good news of the Gospel! It takes our whole self for this mission! We need to be transformed from the inside out! It starts in our mind!

Let’s take a look at Romans 12;1-2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Read that passage again. Let it soak in. God wants us to offer our SELVES as LIVING sacrifices! He wants us to daily lay down our own ways, wants and desires to follow Him. He wants us to put all of our energy and resources, talents and time in His hand to use to guide us and use us for the mission of sharing Christ with others! It says…”by the mercies of God…” He has shown us so much mercy and so much grace! We should gladly be serving Him and honoring Him daily with our lives. Then, and I love this part, He tells us how. First, we are not to be conformed to this world and it’s way of thinking. If you look at social media and advertising about health and fitness, many times the images that are portrayed are unrealistic and only exalt SELF. I want us to see that living a healthy lifestyle; eating healthy foods, practicing self-control, and exercising are all part of a Godly lifestyle. It shouldn’t be to just be consumed with our bodies and ourselves, but to care for our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit… for a purpose! To better be able and prepared to serve Him in these bodies!

Secondly, this passage tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds! Transformed! Changed! How? By the renewing of our minds! Our minds have to change! We have to be in the Word! We have to see ourselves through God’s eyes and through His Word and not this world! The way we think of ourselves directly affects our choices and our behavior! The thoughts we have about ourselves can come from many places. They can come from our past and our life experiences. They can come from the words from others…good or bad. They can come from our past failures, mistakes, or successes. Every single thing from your past, or the images set up in the world to compare ourselves to, are like seeds that have been planted in our hearts and minds. Seeds of condemnation, doubt, comparisons, mistrust, fear, or anything that affects the way you think of yourself can take root and grow in you. They can affect how we live! They can affect our relationships. They can affect how we care for ourselves as well. But let’s look back at our passage. It tells us to RENEW, or change, our minds! This can only come through being rooted and grounded in God’s Word and through His Spirit. But this verse tells us we have a responsibility in this. We cannot conform , or mimic or copy, this world’s way of thinking, and we must renew our minds. We have to allow the Word to take root and grow in us to do this! As believers, we have to allow the Spirit to guide us and help us daily. We have to replace old ways of thinking, that can come from deep roots, with new thinking! We have to allow the very thoughts of God to fill our minds! We are his children! He wants what is best for us! He has a purpose for us! Don’t miss that by watering and caring for those old seeds that have taken root and grown in you! They have to be replaced! They have to be uprooted! We have to clean out the old and start planting and caring for the new “seeds”! The Word will be planted and take root and produce the fruits of the Spirit! Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control! Who doesn’t want these in their life? I certainly do! If you think about each one of these fruits, you will find that these fruits will be the things that not only affect your relationships with the people around you, but will be the things that define who you are! We can’t produce these wonderful fruits on our own! They have to come from the daily renewing of our minds through the Word and through the Spirit. We can’t define ourselves and limit ourselves based on someone else’s opinion, or this world’s deceptive standards. We must replace lies with truth! The old is gone and you are a new creation in Christ! The key is believing that and living in that truth!

Now, back to where we started. Our bodies cannot be transformed if our minds aren’t, at least for the long haul and for the right purpose! Until your thoughts change, nothing changes. Don’t let old ways of thinking rob you of making the changes you need to make to be healthier. If you have a goal or a dream, don’t be afraid to go for it because of past failures or something that someone has spoken to you. Don’t allow your past sin or failure keep you stuck in a place you are not meant to be! God is faithful to forgive us! 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Give it to God and walk in the freedom of His grace and forgiveness! As believers, the old is gone, and everything is new! When we apply this truth to taking care of our bodies, we have new confidence and strength in Him! 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore is anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away and behold all things have become new!” That is exciting news! In the end, it is all for His glory and for His purposes, so give to Him!