Where I'm Coming From - Words 4 Life: Here We Go Again...

Okay… it’s December of 2008 and I’m waddling (or lumbering if you prefer) through my apartment at a whopping 241 lbs. That’s an all-time high for me! I used to love running, now I can barely run. My cholesterol is up and my doctor says I’ll need to take medication for it. I dance around with my son and he complains to my wife that “daddy keeps sitting down”. This problem was supposed to be dealt with years ago. 2008 was supposed to be the year I finally conquered this. What happened? I’ll tell you what happened. I depended on my own strength and determination. I wrote in this very space that I was going to pray everyday and obey God in this area. I didn’t. The truth is, I am embarrassed to be this fat and out-of-shape as I move into my 40’s. ( I turned 40 in sept.) The worst part for me is having such a thorough understanding of fitness and nutrition. Seriously, I could coach many of you to success in this area. But who’s gonna take fitness advice from a guy who’s so fat he has to unbuckle his belt every time he sits down? (It’s okay if you laugh). The same people who take financial advice from the homeless – nobody. Knowledge is worthless if you don’t use it. So how do I shake out of this, get over the hump and gain victory? As always, the answer is in God’s word. In John 15:5 Jesus said, ”I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”. So there it is. If I’m gonna do anything, I must stay connected to Christ. I must come before him everyday and acknowledge my need of his help. EVERYDAY! Any day that I don’t, I’m relying on my own strength and we see where that’s gotten me. The best part is, even though I’m disappointed and discouraged today, I don’t have to stay here. God gives new mercy everyday. I’ve disobeyed him in this area, but he always stands ready to forgive. All I have to do is turn back to him. If you see me, don’t ask if I’ve gone to the gym, ask me if I’ve prayed about this today. Anybody reading this can feel free to e-mail me anytime and remind me to pray about it.

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