One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride in which a criminal named Vizzini kidnaps the princess with help from a gentle giant and a Spanish swordsman.
At one point, the giant has to rope climb up a cliff with the princess, the swordsman, and Vizzini clinging to him. Vizzini yells at the giant to hurry up because another man is climbing up after—and gaining on them.
But the giant replies, “Well, I’m carrying three people, and he’s got only himself!”
Is extra weight slowing you down? When I was obese, I used to feel like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders emotionally. Eventually, that emotional weight translated into physical weight!
If you are ready to lay aside every weight that slows you down, then this article covers three things you must have in place to lay it aside.
Take a moment to meditate upon the following Scripture:
“Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
When I read this Scripture, I realize three things are needed to help you lay aside every weight.
1. Want To (Desire)
2. Can Do (Confidence)
3. How To (Plan)
Many people fail because they jump straight to the ‘How To’ without establishing a foundation of ‘Want To’ and ‘Can Do.’
Want To
Change cannot happen to your life if you don’t have a desire for it. Think about it like this: You are in the business of selling snow cones. Where would you rather set up your stand—in a village in the frozen Alaskan tundra or in a village in the hot desert? Both places would have the same number of potential customers passing by.
I hope you agree that a snow cone business would be more successful in the desert. Why? Because in the desert, people are thirsty and more likely to want what you have. Desire is present.
The Scripture speaks of a “cloud of witness,” people of faith who were willing to leave behind what was comfortable to reach for something better in the future.
To lay aside your weight, you are called to follow their example. You must believe that what you are striving for will be better than where you are coming from.
The writer says of these faith examples in Hebrews 11:
“And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return. But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Heb. 11:5-6).
Do you have a “heavenly country” to which you want to go? Can you picture it in your mind? Many people who are striving to lose physical weight only see a number in their minds or on the scale. But numbers do not move you for long! Mental pictures do.
So that number is going to come with a new lifestyle. Get a piece of paper and write down what a day looks like in your life with you healthy, healed, and whole. Include so much detail that this picture of your “heavenly country” is at least as real to you as your current reality.
Many people give vague descriptions, like “I’ll feel better” or “I’ll look better.” But I want you to walk me through a day of you at your ideal size. What you will be doing at that new size from the time you wake up until you go to bed at night? What would your health habits look like then?
Write about the entire day as if it is happening now—not some time in the future. Use “I am” type statements versus “I will be.” The words “I am” together are powerful!
Does this vision inspire you to want to go to that “heavenly country”? If so, then you’ve done your job right.
Once you recognize that you are in a “desert” situation, then you will be inspired to want to go someplace better! You’ll go after that snow cone.
Can Do
Henry Ford the inventor, once said: “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you are right.” If you want to make changes in your life, you have to believe that it is possible and that you are able to make the trip.
A perfect illustration of a “can do” attitude is Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 13. God charged the Israelites to go into the promised land. Out of the 12 men appointed to spy out the land, 10 of them brought back a bad report. They said they couldn’t conquer the land because the giants in it were stronger than them.
But Joshua and Caleb saw the situation differently. Instead of comparing the giants to themselves as the other 10 men did, they compared the giants to God! So they had developed God confidence. As a result, God commended them and they were the only two men from the original spies that lived to see the promised land.
In addition, many people use past failures to scare themselves away from trying again. But think about the attitude you had as a baby.
What if a baby decided not to try anymore after falling the first time when learning to walk? Or even the 100th time? Instead, the baby knows within herself that she is destined to walk and so she keeps trying—secure in the knowledge that someday she is going to walk!
So promise yourself that you will never give up. If you mess up, then you simply learn from the experience and keep trying again.
If I had to choose, I’d rather be branded a failure going after my dreams rather than be full of regret over what might have been.
How To
In the Information Age that we live in, I believe that this part is the easiest because there are thousands of plans you can choose from to help you release excess physical weight.
My personal view is that the strategy you choose should minister to the whole person. You are not just a body; you have a Spirit, mind, and emotions as well.
Think about this: What good is having the perfect body, but still feel self-hatred? What good is reaching your ideal weight if you are still dealing with unforgiveness and emotional wounds from your past? How about being in perfect health, but still having no peace in your home?
It takes God’s power to overcome issues like these and the Take Back Your Temple program shows you how to receive God’s power. I believe it is one of the best programs out there because it gives you tools to get spiritually stronger and heal emotionally as you are losing physical weight.
I hope you have taken steps today to clarify your “Want To” and your “Can Do.” With those two things in place, then I can assist you with the “How To.”
Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight loss website www.takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight loss tips.
For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.
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