This verse is on my fridge. :) I first found it and really loved the reminder of seeking the "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," but I thought it was funny considering the life changes we've made over these past years..... eating healthy, exercise, etc.
The truth is, I need this reminder. Because weight loss/maintenance and getting in shape is kind of a selfish process and, for me, can become a very self-focused process. I could say that I'm getting in shape so I can play better with my kids or be more alluring to my husband. But, honestly, there's a bigger part of me (one that I have to continually deprive of attention) that checks out other women at the grocery store and compares myself. I'm thinking that I want my butt to look like that or I want my waist that small... things like that. And I seek the world's approval of my appearance. And so it's a balance for me to be disciplined in my exercise and diligent in my diet (when I use the word "diet" I mean eating habits.... not a diet you go on for a time) and for me to be focused on the kingdom of God... to be seeing beyond the physical to the eternal. How would my view of the women at the store be different if I were to be acting and thinking beyond what I see in front of me.... and thinking instead about what Christ might be doing in their lives.
Vanity is a big struggle of mine and I know from past experience that when I start getting thin and looking good, I have a tendency to become pretty pleased with myself.... a little too pleased. It was really evident when I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant with my fourth child. I thought we were done having kids. I was feeling really, really good about my body. Then to find out that I would do pregnancy all over again. I was the thinnest I had been since my senior year of high school..... and I was looking at another 30+ lb weight gain of pregnancy. And I would have to lose it all over again. Jesus begin to teach me about Who my body really belonged to. I clearly remember feeling Him say "Did you think that even your body was yours? That you have the absolute say on what happens to it?" And I began to submit. I'm afraid now that, through this process of becoming healthier, I will revert back to treating this body Christ gave me as my own instead of His. I don't want to become proud of my body in a way that will cause my vain heart to stumble. So....... "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." I want to be healthy. I want to eat things and do activities that benefit the health of my body.... but I want to place my focus on righteousness, on peace and on joy. Having peace and joy no matter what I ate that day or whether I got to workout; peace and joy no matter which jeans I fit in that day or what I saw in the mirror or on the scale.
