Taking the "I" out of the equation...

I, I, I, me, me, me that is the kinda of world in which we live in today. It is sad really that many people are geared to think of themselves first. That is what the world tells us through advertisements, Television, and other media sources. Our children are being brought up in a ME generation. But here is the thing...on this journey I am on for better health the ONE thing that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is this... I MUST take the "I" out of the equation. It is not about ME! Simply put I can not do this alone. If I could I would have never been over weight in the first place. I would be in absolute perfect health. I would be at and maintain an ideal weight. But I CAN NOT do this on my own. I need help.I need strength. I need wisdom. I fall short of His glory daily in not allowing Him to work through me and help me in choices I make on what to eat, do I or do I not walk or exercise. Loosing weight is not easy. Being healthy for many is not easy. It certainly has not been easy for me. But I can not accept the COST of continuing on with the lifestyle I was living. And where we all fail is relying on ourselves alone to loose the weight, to be a healthier version of what you are right now. It doesn't work if we do not put God in the equation. HE is the answer....HE is the only answer. Once making Him the answer then you will succeed. The Bible plainly states in Luke 9:23, "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." And if you do not like that verse how about 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." The lesson I learned is that I must allow God to be at the reigns of my journey. He has to be in control. I must deny myself and allow Him to create a new me. I need to consult Him with every aspect of the journey. God is not the one who tempts me to falter. He wants me to succeed. But I we must ask. Romans 12: 1 states, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Present your body to God as a living and holy sacrifice. How we take care of our bodies is a form of worshiping him. What?? Boy, when you dwell on that it makes you think Uh-Oh.... my body is certainly not a acceptable living and holy sacrifice. Our bodies are holy simply because God created us. And he created our bodies with a purpose. I make poor choices as to how I fuel the body God has given me often. Did you catch that "I" make poor choices? I have had to train myself to ask, what is best for me and my body. Sure that candy bar as a snack riding down the road taste soooooooo good and yes it satisfies the growling tummy BUT is it what is best for me? NO, so the better choice is a piece of fruit or maybe a granola bar. I have to approach temping choices with the question, "What is best for this body God is powering?" Essentially, "What would God want me to choose?" You know what, when I make the healthier choice I feel better not just mentally but physically and spirituality. Since cutting most processed foods from my diet my body can not handle the candy bars or the fast food without consequences. Boy, that burger and fries or the candy bar sure might taste good but the headache and sluggishness it creates later in the day is just not worth it. Not to mention how I beat myself up for hours after making the choice to indulge. I seem to be preaching to myself this morning and decided to take you guys along for the ride. You see this weekend well UH was just not the best as far as healthy choices were concerned. Especially, yesterday. It was a very busy day which left hardly anytime for thinking about proper food choices. As I rushed home from church to get the kids to go back to church for play practice I drove by and bought a pizza for lunch. Even though my mind was telling me YUCK! I had to eat and it had to be fast. SO pizza we had for lunch. Was it good? Yes, mainly because I was so hungry (I had forgotten to eat breakfast) and it was hot out of the oven. Two hours later, as it sat like a brick in my stomach as my body what saying why, why, why did you do this to me was it a good choice for me, NO! And this morning as I deal with a slight headache I know most definitely I should have chosen the apple off the counter and protein bar in the kitchen cabinet instead. But good news is...... Today is a new day! And today, I will put God back into the equation and remove the I! Are you with me? Are you ready to deny yourself and let God be answer in the journey your walking. I hope so, because I see where God has taken me in the last 3 months and I know it is ALL Him. I had tried before and failed. I have made more gains since putting Him in charge of this walk. All things are possible through HIM. Now the tummy is growling it is time for breakfast...