Written By: Alma Lee Shumate
“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us…” Hebrews 12:1
Each year as the New Year rolls in, the fat rolls seem to be on everyone’s mind.
“Time to lose this extra 10 pounds!”
“Time to get back on track.”
“Time to lose this baby weight!”
“Time to hit the reset button.”
We’ve all been there. What we look like, how our clothes fit, and how we feel is a huge deal! It’s not a bad thing to want to be healthy and feel better in our own skin. If you are striving to lose weight in the new year, then I’m behind you, cheering for you to meet your goals! YOU CAN DO IT!
But this devotional isn’t about losing fat rolls- it’s about setting aside the weight that holds us back spiritually. The same tactics that you use to lose physical weight can also be used in your spiritual life. What weights are holding you back spiritually? Are you stagnant in your daily relationship with the Lord? Are you unmotivated to serve in your local church? Are you finding excuses for not attending church regularly? Are you letting a sinful habit control your thoughts and actions? Are you refusing to do what God has called you to do?
Physical weight loss plans usually combine a healthy intake of foods with an active exercise plan and require lots of personal discipline coupled with motivation. If you want to lose spiritual weight in the new year, then consider what your intake consists of, how you serve others, your self-discipline for personal devotional time, and what’s motivating you to make spiritual improvements.
If physical weight loss is reliant on healthy foods going in, then equally so is your spiritual life reliant on what is being fed to your heart and mind. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” We are more impacted by earthly things than we care to admit. The most obvious to me is social media. How many hours a day are spent imputing negativity, comparing yourself to others, listening to foul language and music, and missing out on face-to-face communication because the little phone screen is in the way? Colossians 3:1 challenges us to “seek those things which are above.” Purpose to make a change today! Cut back on screen time or better yet remove it completely, and replace the time you gain with reading God’s Word, listening to God-honoring podcasts, listening to Godly, uplifting music, and spending time with loved ones. Feed yourself with God’s Word!
If physical weight loss is reliant on an active exercise plan, then equally so is your spiritual life reliant on actively serving the Lord. We were not meant to absorb Bible teaching, have a secret relationship with Jesus, and hide our Light under a bushel. God made us to go reach others with the Gospel, and to serve Him by serving others. There is not a generalized service plan or list to follow. God has spiritually gifted each of us differently, and when you find your area of giftedness, I encourage you to pursue active service in that area and exercise your faith.
If physical weight loss is reliant on personal discipline and motivation, then equally so is your spiritual life reliant on personal discipline and motivation. Through God’s grace and mercy, He created us with a choice. We must daily choose to serve and honor Him. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” If you’ve struggled with a daily relationship with Him, you know the motivation doesn’t always come from within. Your motivation could come from a place of desiring to serve Him better, to serve your family better through a life lived filtered with God’s love, or from a moral place of right as opposed to wrong. Find your motivation, set your goal, and make a plan how to execute your goal!
I encourage you to lose weight in 2024. Let’s “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us…” I’m rooting for you! Go team go!