The New Year is just around the corner and on the top of many resolution lists will be to lose weight. That resolution along with many others will end in the ash heap of frustration in just a few weeks. I have never been a big New Year’s resolution guy to begin with but I do like to evaluate myself from time to time. In that evaluation, I always see some things I need to lose and some things I need to gain.
The problem most of us have is in the diligence of life. We start well but then over a certain amount of time we drop the ball and then in frustration we just leave the ball lying where we dropped it. It takes self-motivation to pick up a dropped ball and begin again. Short-term failures often discourage us from long-term success. One aspect of diligence is not being perfect in our habits but restarting again after a short term failure.
Another stumbling block for most of us is the confusion over transformation versus quick fixes. Transformation is the restructuring of our mental and spiritual perspectives. What we believe (spiritual) and what we think (mental) is the driving force in how we live. For instance, I believe this is the problem with dieting and other quick fixes; we erroneously think short-term solutions will solve lifetime problems. People lose weight on a diet and then think they can go back to eating like they did before the diet–we know the end result of that! Lifestyle changes are necessary for lifelong solutions.
We all need to focus on the most important things instead of spinning our wheels on things that matter the least. The short-term ‘urgent’ matters often rob the long-term important things in our lives. Unfortunately, people fall into this category as well. We need to put a priority on the people in our lives who will cry over our graves instead of exhausting emotional energy and time on folks who will not even attend our wake. Everyone is important and we must reach out to the least but we should not neglect those who are in our priority circle.
I pray each one of us will focus on our life in God, our family, our life’s work and purpose. There is way too many superficial things that rob the true focus of our lives. It may be more important for us to be healthy for our family’s sake than to fit into those skinny jeans to impress someone we don’t even need to impress.
Scripture: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2 NKJV).
My prayer: Lord, help me to have the right focus on You, my family, and to the things You have called me to do. Holy Spirit, empower me to be diligent in the important things of life and not to fret over the superficial things. Lord, transform me by renewing my mind. Jesus, give me a heart and a mind like Yours so I can please my Father in Heaven.
–Harry Whitt
Pathway Journey 