Fit for Life

As most of you may know, I used to weigh significantly more than I do now. When I was 24, I went to the doctor and was told I had high blood pressure and either needed to start taking blood pressure medicine or lose 12-15 pounds. I lost the recommended 12-15 pounds plus an additional 75 pounds. I’ve kept off most of that weight for the last 5 years. People that have lost weight often talk about how losing weight is the easy part, it’s maintaining that weight loss that is tough. I’ve been feeling pretty confident in myself since I’ve maintained it for so long…Then, over this past holiday season I gained like 10 pounds. #fail

[Philippians 3:13-16: Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.]

There are so many correlations between a weight loss journey and our spiritual journeys.

In verse 13, Paul talks about forgetting what’s behind and focusing on what’s ahead. If you are focused on all the bad decisions you made to get you overweight, you can’t focus on moving forward and learning how to make good decisions. Similarly, if you are focused on the sin and baggage of your past, you may be missing opportunities to focus on Christ and move forward.

In verse 14, Paul talks about having a goal he’s reaching towards. Initially I lost weight so I wouldn’t have to take blood pressure medicine, once I lost that weight, my goal became having Wii Fit tell me I was normal (not obese). I have continued to set new goals as I meet previous ones. In our spiritual walks, we should have goals as well. Ultimately our goal is abundant life in Christ, but maybe right now that looks like addressing one specific thing and then another and then another. There are always goals we should be striving towards.

In verse 16, Paul says to keep living by the same standard to which we have attained. That’s like the maintenance stage of weight loss. Once the weight is gone, the habits formed need to be maintained to keep the weight off. Spiritually, it’s no different. As you are meeting goals-making a habit of reading His word, becoming more patient,  being nicer to your siblings-you can’t check them off a list and move on to the next one without ever thinking about the old ones again. We need to keep up those habits as we press on towards new ones. Otherwise we’ll gain back those ten pounds (literally and figuratively).

1. Are there any areas in your life where you accomplished a goal, but then fell back into it later?

2. What are some areas in your life where you have maintained a goal you accomplished?

3. Let us keep living by that  _______________ to which we have attained.

4. Take a minute and journal your thoughts about this passage:

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These are devotionals written for the teens. A handful of us are taking turns writing, so it may seem like sporadic passages. It all flows nicely for the teens in their devo books though.