Read the Label

The main reason so many diet and fitness programs fail to work is because we view them as temporary.  We don’t look at the program as a lifestyle change, but merely a seasonal inconvenience.  We get it in our mind that our eating and exercise habits can return to what we would deem normal as soon as our goals have been realized.  However, in truth, this newfound fitness can only be maintained by allowing these new habits to become second nature to us.

The same is true when we come to Christ.  Salvation is not just a quick fix for the ills of today.  The character of Christ is to become a lifestyle, not something that can be discarded if it gets in the way.  God deals in the eternal.  We are to take off the old man and put on the new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  The only way to project God’s image is to allow Him to live through us.  We can’t ever work hard enough, be good enough, or make ourselves righteous enough to be acceptable to God.  This would negate the grace of God and make Christ’s death senseless.  We must live for God by faith, trusting Him to make us righteous and help us make the necessary changes in our lives.

In the physical realm we’ve learned that to get fit, includes labels which have become “required reading.”  You can learn a lot from reading labels, for instance, a package may read FAT-FREE, but that doesn’t mean it is low in calories.  And, a product boldly proclaiming NO CHOLESTEROL can still be fat-laden and may not be a wise food choice after all.

Likewise, in becoming fit for the kingdom, there will also be “required reading.”  The Word of God offers the believer we need to know in order to make sound choices. The Word has four basic food groups:  Reading, Study, Prayer and Meditation.  All four must be in proper balance for a healthy diet

Spiritual food is a must, without it the believer becomes weak and unfit.  His discernment becomes dull, and soon he will be found buying into anything that sounds good or looks right to the natural eye.  Be aware, like food labels, the enemy is very deceiving.  Read your Bible, know the facts—make good choices. Your spiritual health depends on it!

-Kat