Weighing In...

I was recently asked to speak at a Ladies Retreat that the local congregation of the Lord's church was hosting. I thought it was a GREAT topic. This year's topic was: 'THE BIGGEST WINNERS'. We had pink shirts patterned after the show and everything. Several people spoke. The topic I was asked to speak on was, "Weighing In". Of course I was scared to death, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed the process of writing and sharing. I have thought, many times, about the connection. I know many of you are spiritually-minded, and even if you aren't, it still might be worth a read. You'll be able to relate to a lot of what I wrote, I think. Anyway, for what it is worth...I thought you guys might like to read what I put together. Thank you all for being my friends, encouragers.

-Susan

Weighing In (check points) 3/25/11

“O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath, And chasten me not in your burning anger. For your arrows have sunk deep into me, And your hand has pressed down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow fouler and faster because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.” (Psalm 38:1-8)

Sin is HEAVY. It weighs us down.

When we “weigh in we take an honest look at ourselves and we access our situation. There are 3 ways we can deal with our “weight”. Some people avoid mirrors and scales all together. They KNOW they aren’t what they should be, but they don’t want to deal with their situation at all. They would rather avoid the truth. They spend their lives in denial about their situation, and carrying around a heavy burden of sin. They are drawn to others who do the same. In doing so, they insure that they will NEVER make any progress in the right direction. In a spiritual sense, we might avoid all things religious. We avoid prayer because we know in our hearts we are not in the right relationship with God. Perhaps we stay away from the Bible and at least the parts that have to do with a call to conversation/change.

Another type of person gets on the scale and looks in the mirror, but says, “this is just who I am/how I am. People just need to accept me.” Unlike the first person, they actually look at the scale from time to time, (Jesus/His word, spiritually speaking) but feel it’s too hard, too much work. They might look in the mirror once in a while, but feel they are “good enough”. They settle. They may even feel resentment toward others who are trying to make progress. They may even try to discourage them. When someone is being successful in living a Christian life or losing weight for that matter, it brings to light the fact that it CAN be done. It throws cold water, in a sense, on their argument that “it can’t be”. Have you ever had someone try to discourage you as a Christian? “Yeah, I USED to believe that stuff too, but then I realized it was stupid or a waste of time. Or maybe you are being successful in “losing” and really feeling encouraged and good. Then someone comes along and says “why are you even wasting your time? You are just going to gain it all back anyway.” They LIKE to see people failing or doing wrong. They even SEEK OUT those more who are more overweight than them, to be their friends. It makes them feel better about themselves. When you are overweight and aren’t interested in changing, you don’t want to be in a room full of slim/healthy athletic types. You like to be next to someone who is morbidly obese, because THAT makes you FEEL better. We can justify ourselves all day long, but truth is truth and Christ is the standard, not the person you are standing next to. Sadly, not only will they never make progress themselves, but they are often discouragers to others in order to make themselves feel more justified. They settle and don’t even try.

Then there is a third type of person. This is the person who DOES look in the mirror and step on the scale. They assess their situation and get up, DETERMINED. A good example of this in found in the book of Luke chapter 15, starting with verse 11. This is the story of the prodigal son. This young man wondered away from “the scale” for a period of time. Then something happened that “woke him up”.
(READ LUKE 15:11-24)
Notice in verse 17, it says the young man “came to his senses” and then he GOT UP determined! He took an honest look at himself, came to his senses, GOT UP and DID SOMETHING! THAT is what we need to do, where ever we are in life, we need to GET UP DETERMINED and go do something about it. And just like the father in the story RAN to meet his son when he got up and headed for home, God is waiting to RUN to us! I know it seems hard sometimes, but remember, we don’t’ have to do this by ourselves. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things though HIM (through Christ) who strengthens me.” It can often be very humbling when we face where we really are. Perhaps we have been comparing ourselves to others instead of the standard, which is Christ. Maybe we have been in denial, telling ourselves we are “okay” and “not THAT bad” or “not as bad as so-in-so”. Just because there are other people in worse situations doesn’t mean we are okay though. We need to be comparing ourselves to Christ and to His standards for us. In Ephesians 5:1-2 it tells us “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave up himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I am also of Christ”. And we ARE to examine ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test? ” Is Jesus living in us? Can others SEE Christ living in me? It’s a “checkpoint”, a question we need to ask ourselves on a regular basis. Galatians 6:4 says that each of us should examine his own work. We need to compare ourselves to God’s word.

We ALL start our journey at different places. Some of us started out “slim and healthy”. We were brought up by strong Christian parents and led lives from the beginning of our Christian walk, close to what we should be. We were feed a constant diet of healthy food and exercise was encouraged. There were a few bumps along the way, but we continued to grow and mature until we got out on our own. It wasn’t that hard early on but then life happened and the “weight” starting piling on without us realizing it. We started replacing healthy food with “junk” and we got too busy for exercise. Perhaps we started hanging around others who liked junk food and were “heavier than us”. Instead of encouraging them, we just felt we were “slimmer than our friends, so we must be okay. (Again, we forgot CHRIST is the standard). We got busy with studying and dating and started missing worship services. We just got busy and didn’t have time for reading God’s word. We drifted without even realizing it. Then one day, we found ourselves in a bad situation we never should have even been in and think, how in the world did I get here? We then get up determined and head for “home”.

Some of us may have started out far from God. We grew up in homes where a “healthy” spiritual life was something completely foreign to us. We’ve always had extra weight on us. We’ve never been in a “slim/healthy” state. We’ve NEVER eaten healthy or exercised. It’s hard because it truly is a complete lifestyle change. We still start out in the same place though. We get on the “scale” and take an honest look at ourselves. We set out determined.
God takes us where we are and has different expectations for us based on how long we have been Christians. If someone has been dieting 2 weeks and lost 3 pounds, they are doing GREAT. If someone has been plugging along for a year and lost 3 pounds, something isn’t right. They are trying perhaps, but only half-heartedly. Maybe our weight is staying the same when we still have work to do and we feel STUCK. Perhaps we are even going in the WRONG direction. We are gaining when we should be losing!! The writer of Hebrews addresses Christians who have been going at it a while, but instead of growing as Christians, they have gone the WRONG direction and have to start all over. Hebrews 5:12-14 says: “Concerning him, (talking about Jesus being our high priest in the previous verses), we have much to say, and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. For by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principals of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

So we have to be honest with ourselves and face our situation whatever it might be. We compare ourselves to the standard. We set our goals. We need to eat the RIGHT foods and not waste our calories (our TIME) on junk. Instead we need to replace the junk with healthy food. We need to exercise on a regular basis and understand that those difficulties we face make us stronger. Just like resistance builds muscle. (James 1:2-4 says “Consider it joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”) Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and the STRENGTH of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand FIRM against the schemes of the devil. “
We should surround ourselves with those who are also TRYING to be spiritually healthy. We need to worship God together and not forsake the assembly of His people. (Hebrews 10:25). Spend time with people that have similar goals. We ALL struggle from time to time but spending time and building relationships with people who have the same goals, will help us meet OUR goals. I often remind my boys what Proverbs 17:17 says. “A friend loves at all times and a brother is BORN for adversity. When we are struggling as sisters in Christ, and also as friends, we should encourage each other. Have you ever tried to do something positive and felt like others were just watching, waiting, even hoping you would fail, instead of encouraging you? I think sometimes we let envy creep into our lives and instead of “Weeping with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15) we have what is the opposite of a Christ-like attitude and we secretly want others to fail. Sometimes I think we find it easier to weep with those who weep than rejoice with those who rejoice. Isn’t that terrible that we do that to each other? These things ought never to be so! If we catch ourselves with that attitude, we need to pray about it and face it head on because we have a serious heart problem! It was after all, because of envy “religious” people handed Jesus over to be hung on a cross. (Matthew 27:18) Let’s remember in our Christian walk, to rise above that shameful attitude we all struggle with from time to time and really treat others the same way we WANT them to treat us. (Matthew 7:12) Let’s BE encouragers! There is another thing to consider, when it comes to influence. Just as hanging out with people that have similar goals can help us reach ours, evil companions do just the opposite. “Do not be deceived: Evil companions corrupt good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33) Don’t be a discourager and don’t hang out with discouragers. Look to those Christians who have successfully made it through hard times and who are ahead of us on the journey. We can learn from them. Help those who are not as far down the road as you are. Titus 2:35 says, “Older woman likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may ENCOURAGE the younger women to LOVE their husbands, to LOVE their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

We DO need to weigh ourselves on a regular basis. We need to “check-in” to see how we are doing. Keep in mind though, there WILL be ups and down. When I first starting losing weight, I remember several times I weighed in and was actually UP half a pound or so. It used to REALLY frustrate and discourage me. I kept doing “the right things” though and a funny thing happened. I found that when you do the RIGHT things on a consist basis, it is impossible NOT to lose. In fact often I would jump up a little in weight just before a big drop. The same thing can happen spiritually. If we keep doing God’s will on a consistent basis, it’s impossible not to WIN. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8) We hit a bump in road and either we give up on God’s plan and quit, or we say, “NO. I KNOW I am doing what I am supposed to be doing”, and we keep going regardless. (This always makes me think of Joseph, Jacob’s son, in Genesis chapters 37-50. What if he had given up? Joseph had many “bumps” in the road. He did after all get thrown in prison because he was just trying to do what was right. He didn’t quit though. He trusted God and guess what? It turned out God had a PLAN!) He really lived the verse we read in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding”. Ecclesiastes 11:6 says “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” Just do what is right. DO your work and don’t worry about things, (or over analysis). Galatians 6:9 says “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” We all go through times of fast growing, slow growing, stumbling blocks and trials. We ALL have set backs. They are usually followed by GREAT progress though, if we don’t LET UP! The way you WIN, the way to be “THE BIGGEST WINNER” is, you don’t quit. When you mess up, you get up, hop on that scale (don’t AVOID it) face what you “weigh” and keep on trying. 2Corinthians 4:16 says, ‘Therefore do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

In closing, I can’t help but think of the words of Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:7-8. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteous, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to ALL who have loved His appearing.” Let’s focus on our goal and look forward to our reward.