Does your god cause weight gain?

As I spent time reflecting on God's Word this morning, I came across a text that seemed to be particularly troubling.

You know what that's like, don't you? You are reading a book (God's Word) but a verse 'jumps off the page.' It's a clear reminder that God uses the reading of His Word to speak with us.

Well, the passage I'm referring to is Philippians 3:18-21. In it, God (through the Apostle Paul) notes one very important factor that shows who is truly a child of God and who isn't.

Simply put, people who are on their way to Heaven focus on the things of God. Those who are headed to a Christ-less eternity are focused on self-gratification and the temporal.

People who are truly saved 'seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness' (Matthew 6:33). Those who are not saved are focused only on their own interests.

Philippians 3:18-21 (ESV)

"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

I found the phrase, "their god is their belly", particularly troubling. That seems to describe someone who eats more than is necessary to satisfy a craving that only God can and should satisfy. I know that too many times that characterizes my behavior. While I love the Lord, I am keenly aware that there are times that I run to the frig rather than drop to my knees or open His Word for solace.

Virtually every time I read God's Word, I am reminded that there is still much work to do as I strive to become more like Jesus.

Can getting fit be an act of worship?

One of the many joys of being saved is realizing that Jesus didn't just claim the allegiance of our spirit. He claimed our bodies, too!

Romans 12:1 (New Living Translation)

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New Living Translation)

"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

How is this a joy?

Because we realize that nothing in our life needs to be outside the realm of worship. When we exercise or eat or try to lose some weight, that can be an act of worship, an act that proceeds out of our heart of love for the Lord.

Because we love the Lord, we want to give Him our best. So, we take care of the body that belongs to Him that He has temporarily entrusted to us.

It's not just a body, though. God dwells inside it as His temple. When we truly come to understand that principle, we will be even more motivated to give Him a place to dwell that is worthy of His presence.

Why is this important? Well, one of the reasons is because our culture is so infatuated with epithelial tissue (a.k.a. 'skin'). Even Christians can succumb to getting their bodies slim and trim so that they can merit the attention of others. They don't mind getting their bodies into shape so that they can impress others with how they appear. Their motive is wrong and they are stepping dangerously close to the line of temptation that has claimed so many lives (and marriages).

Take care of God's temple today. If it needs a 'spring cleaning,' begin today.

But, don't do it because you care what others will think when they see your body. Instead, do it because your body belongs to the Lord. He lives inside your body and you want to provide Him with a temple worthy of His presence.

Getting fit - Progress Report (January 21, 2012)

An area of my life that has been out of balance for far too long is my weight and fitness level. Ever since I entered the pastorate, I have mentally committed to never allowing my waistline to get so large that it discredits my ministry. After all, how can I call people to be godly and disciplined in every area of their life when my own weight shows that I’m not living what I preach?

So, with that mindset, I have maintained a reasonably healthy weight and fitness level. However, I have been noticing that gravity is slowly but surely working a little harder and my clothes keep getting smaller and smaller.

Around Christmastime, I was browsing through a blog by a Christian educator and author. He mentioned that he was going on a diet and was going to use a social networking site (www.loseit.com) to help him lose the weight. He was looking for accountability partners to join him. I signed up and started the day after Christmas (December 26, 2011).

I also realized that if I was to lose some serious weight, I would need to do more than diet. I would need to exercise. I had previously used a fantastic site to document my walking and jogging miles (www.dailymile.com). I went back to that account and starting logging miles.

Now, when I fire up my laptop and get onto the net, the two windows that automatically open are www.loseit.com and www.dailymile.com. This keeps my goals directly in front of me and allows me to celebrate the progress I’m making.

So, what are the numbers? Since December 26, 2011:

• I’ve logged 165 miles (except for 12 miles of biking, the rest is walking/jogging).
• I started at 207.2lbs and have lost 12.8lbs so far (about 3.4lbs lost per week).
• My fitness level has gone up. (I’ve never been a U.S. Marine and I’m not a Marine wannabe. However, a FANTASTIC book I discovered years ago that provides ways to calculate your fitness level, among many other things, is “The Marine Corps 3X Fitness Program” by Martin Cohen.)

If you want to get running but don’t know how, here are two sites to get you started:

• Here's a site that is VERY informative and is an easy way to break into a running program. It encourages you to start slow (begin a walking program before running). On page 3, it gives a plan to increase your ability to run. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520--2201-1-2X3X6-4,00.html
• Here's the plan that I used to get started. I committed to it and did all 21 days. It about killed me!!! Only do it if you're dead set on getting into shape quickly and can commit to about 45 minutes a day for 21 days. (You'll get a rest day about every 3 days.) Even though I didn’t, you may want to get your doctor’s approval first. Just sign up and you'll get an e-mail every morning between 5:00-6:00am that will tell you what to do that day. However, I would HIGHLY recommend that you get a walking program going before starting this! http://running.about.com/c/ec/10.htm

Getting fit in 2012

I've been using a free weight loss/fitness website for the past few days and love it! It's called Lose It! Here are a few reasons why you should give it a try if you've tried other programs that didn't work:

• It an easy calorie based program. No counting points.
• A database of food items are already in the system so you don't have to look up the calories for every item you consume.
• You can add to your daily calorie intake by doing some excercise. The more you exercise, you more you can eat!
• It's FREE!
• You can "friend" others who can provide mutual accountability.
• Some of your data (your calorie intake and weight loss) are graphed so you can visualize your progress.
• Those who "friend" you can see you weight loss progress but they cannot see your weight unless you allow it to be visible on your profile page.
• Etc.

If you're interested in taking care of God's temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), consider joining www.loseit.com and friending me. Simply type "matt ellis" into the friend locator and you'll see my picture.