Live It Articles This is the Year!

We have made some changes to our newsletter as you can already see.  I will be sharing with you in my articles this year the basic principles of my new book Don’t Quit, Get Fit.  It’s a new year with promises of opportunities for success – if we make some changes.  We do not want this to be just another year with the same old resolutions that are never resolved.  The last thing I want next year is to say “another year, another resolution without success.” This year can be different, but it will require work on our part.  This is the first in a five-part series on helping you not to quit and FINALLY get fit.

Principal Number One

Stop believing the lies and focus on the TRUTH:

Jesus tells us “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).   Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and the thieves are still trying to steal our joy, deny our value and destroy our ability to experience life as God wants, especially if it can keep us from hearing and believing the truth.    

What lies prevent you from moving towards the life that God wants for you?  Are you ready to confront them?    Here is one of the biggest lies that needs to be confronted by the truth:

LIE: I am valued by how I look, what I wear, and what I do.

We’ve heard this lie almost from the womb. The first time our mothers dressed us up in a cute little outfit and we got praised or when someone said, “look at those cute little cheeks,” we began to understand that our value was defined by  the way others saw us. From those innocent, well-meaning comments to the outright attack on our value from the media and culture, we’ve been lied to our whole lives. Look good and people love you. Gain weight and be ignored.

TRUTH: My value comes in knowing I am fully loved by God  

Listen to this amazing truth.  Allow these words to touch your heart and mind as you consider the truth of your worth:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 

And that is what we are! I John 3:1

As someone who has said yes to Jesus Christ as your ultimate guide and shepherd, you are no longer defined by what the world says, thinks or believes about you. You are a child of God! God literally lavishes you with love. He covers you with love. God does not see your body or your house or your car, but He sees you and He says, “I love you!”   In fact, God loves you so much that He was willing to give everything so that you could be with Him. You didn’t have to do a thing.  

On the first night of a FP4H class when we all weigh in, I can see fear on the faces of those who come in the door. Some have not weighed themselves in years and have no idea how out of control their weight is. Others weigh every day and know to the ounce how much they weigh. Like so many, we allow the scale to define us and have power over us. We let the things in life that happen to us, how we look, the kind of car we drive, the kind of job we have, determine our value. One of the many things that sets First Place 4 Health apart from other weight loss programs is that we tell the truth. As I continue to study God’s word, I have come to understand that it is my relationship with Him that defines who I am, not what I weigh.  I have had to have my mind totally changed and transformed by God’s word. 

It’s time to confront the lies and begin each day saying, “I am a child of God who is loved.  My worth is determined by God and not the scale or even my own view of myself.

Now the million dollar question for you this month:

Is there a lie that I need to stop believing?  

Is there a lie you have believed about yourself that you know now is untrue?  Identify the lie and write it down. In a recent consultation when I asked this question the response was:  “I have believed that I am lazy and I know that I am not lazy.  That is a lie that I know in my heart is not true.”

What is the truth I need to focus on? 

For every lie you believe about yourself, the Lord wants to give you His truth. If you believe that you are lazy, the truth you’ll need to embrace is that God made you to work hard and has given you the resources you need. Even in my weakness He will be strong.

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

In prayer and Bible study, the Lord will show you what truth He has for you. In fact, that truth may become your lifeline for the year!

Identifying the lies and focusing on the truth can become the first step that God uses to empower you for success and to keep you motivated toward your wellness goals this year. 

I am praying for you as you enter into a new life with Christ this year of 2012. 

Staying focused,

Vicki Heath