Newness of Life

Newness of Life I love that phrase, “newness of life.” It reminds me of God’s mercy and how He is always ready to give us a fresh start. Spring reminds me of the newness of life too. Everything just seems to come alive again. And then there are all the birds nesting, ducklings and goslings waddling around behind their mothers. To me it proves that God loves new things, new beginnings, and new hope for the future. My pastor said something about this that has really stuck with me, and I think you can apply this truth to your health as well as many other areas of your life. Notice how this scripture in Romans talks about dying and being buried first, before it talks about walking in “newness of life”? My pastor challenged me when he said “if you’re not walking in this newness of life, maybe it's because you haven’t died.” It challenged me not only in my spiritual walk, but also in my health (come to think of it, isn’t our health part of our spiritual walk?). If you hold on to your old ways, compromise your core values and beliefs as it relates to food, the way you treat your body, or the way you see yourself, you really haven’t “died” to the old ways. And if you do find yourself living in the old patterns and behaviors of your past, it can quickly become a vicious cycle of emotional eating and depression because you’re so mad at yourself for “going backwards.” Let me ask you:

·         What do you do when find yourself reverting back to old habits, old thought patterns, and old destructive behaviors?

·         Do you have a plan in place to combat the negative emotions and feelings that come with reverting back to your old ways of dealing with your health, especially as it relates to emotional eating?

·         How do you climb out of this place if you find that you have slipped back into old patterns?

I’m climbing to a higher place of health myself.  One thing I have found on this climb is that there are many snags, hard places, and sharp rocks along the way! But when I think about this scripture, and I really meditate on what my core values are in regards to health, I realize that some of those snags are because I haven’t really died to my old ways of doing things. So then, if you find that you’re going back and forth, up and down, and every other way in regards to your health, really think about whether or not you have been willing to “die” to your old ways, and fully embrace the newness of life that God wants to give you. You can’t have it both ways. And if you don’t even know what the “newness of life” is as it relates to your health, let me challenge you with these questions: 1) What are your deepest desires in regards to your health? 2) Will you believe that those desires are placed there by God, and that they are really His desires for you? 3) How are you doing at living your core values and beliefs in regards to your health?

Remember – “all things news” is a great promise from the Bible.   But if it’s an area you struggle with as it relates to weight loss and health, you may need some inner work done so that the outer you will radiate health.  If that’s the case, Think Thin Live Thin is just the training you need to achieve your weight loss and health goals (Alyssa – hyperlink my www.thinkthinlivethin.com site with Think Thin Live Thin).

If you renew your mind to that of a thin, fit person, your outer body will begin to express that inward “newness of life”.