End of the year holidays have ended, and we have entered into a BRAND NEW year!
If you were like me, you may have gained your annual few pounds that come with enjoying ALLLLL of the holiday comfort foods and creative desserts imaginable.
So, wait one second. What about that pandemic weight? Is anyone still trying to work that off on top of the holiday annual weight gain like me? I gained about 15 pounds at the top of the pandemic. YES I am a part of the original statistics! When I heard that 15 pounds was the average weight gain, I had two reactions…relieved that I wasn’t alone…..and then determined to do something about it. Amazing how the weight gain happened so quickly and with little thought or effort. As I ate and hung out with hubby and the kiddos early on (we had such a great time), I feel like the pounds wanted to join in on the fun and be added to the family. I probably should have applied for a birth certificate and named them “First Name: FIFTEEN Middle Name: POUNDS Last Name: ROBINSON”.
In the spring and summer months I had been walking with a neighborhood friend for about 4 miles a day during the week. Originally it was in the early evenings and after a while we switched to first thing every morning. The morning walks really helped give me energy throughout my day. I could see the difference and the pounds slooowwly coming off. In 2022 I decided to really take a hold of my nutritional regimen. One of the major changes was holding off on the sweets until the weekends. Now to tell you the truth, sweets are my weakness (especially chocolate), and I had begun to slip BEFORE the holidays…(big smiling emoji all teeth). Nevertheless, and overall, I am sticking to it! In doing this, I began to realize a more noticeable difference in my weight loss especially, the pace in which the weight was coming off. It feels good to finally start feeling like myself again. This journey has not been easy since I am older but with consistency and hard work, I am finally working on getting back IN SHAPE!
As I have been paying more attention to my body and getting this temple back into shape, I have been thinking, how much more for my soul (my mind, will, emotions, imaginations, and affections)? Soul work is a continual thing just like working the body. We have to feed it, work it out, and rest in order for it to be fully productive. It is not a one and done thing. I don’t care who you are or who you look up to, NO ONE will ever “arrive” until they get to heaven. There is always something to work on in our soul while we are here on earth……. and no one is exempt.
As I have been growing and evolving into this next season, I decided to dig deeper and ask God to shed light on those areas in my life that have shaped me through actions, spoken words, and environments, since a child and young person……and even as an adult. Are those mindsets and behaviors that are IN SHAPE healthy for my spiritual walk and for the call that is on my life? I told the Lord I do not want anything hindering me from His perfect will for my life. This is not a formality thing, or a front. It is literally a desire of mine. In talking to God, I found that there were things IN SHAPE in my soul that needed to be addressed in a workout in order for me to get OUT OF SHAPE. There were things that we may have been taught or we may have caught that as they say, that may have been sincere but were sincerely wrong. What about those words spoken over us that may have shaped our lives? And then you grow up finding yourself living out and having this out of shape mindset and passing it along in the areas you have influence. The vicious cycle can continue until you come to a place of maturity and understanding. When the lightbulb comes on what do you do? Do we let pride take over and ignore what needs to change? The answer should be a hard NO. We need to work ourselves in that area right out of shape. Taking in the wrong things and keeping the wrong things in shape in our soul is equivalent to eating the wrong things and keeping things out of shape in our bodies. It is not healthy and can cause underlining issues including issues that lead to death. I am not sure how you feel about it, but I want to live and live well inside and out!
In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul says this: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
Do you see the connection and why it is so important to work out your soul salvation and to get OUT OF shape? Working out our soul gets us connected to our purpose.. There is a God-purpose to fulfill. He had something in mind for us to be and do while we are here on earth. As we surrender and work those things OUT in us in full reverence to Him, we will find ourselves completely OUT OF SHAPE! Out of the shape of dysfunctional mindsets and out of the shape of negative words spoken that we may have spoken over ourselves or that others may have spoken over us.
Let’s decide together that we are getting ALL THE WAY out of shape and into the shape of who God has made and formed us to be!
PRAYER: Father you are great and your plan and idea for us on this earth is perfect. Who are we the created one to tell you the creator what you meant for us. You are a perfect loving God…Abba Father and we trust you in our process. Father open our eyes that we may see and open our ears that we may hear you clearly in this new year and new season of our lives. Help us to never worry or be concerned about what others think or feel. Have your way in us and through us. As we stay on the potters wheel, continue to shape us and mold us into your perfect plan and will. In Jesus mighty amazing matchless Name we pray. AMEN!
SCRIPTURES:
Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed int his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) Yet you, O Lord, are our Father; we are the clay, you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Romans 9:20 But who are you, a human being to talk back to God Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this?