A little over 2 years ago, the Lord used my pastor (who is a licensed health coach) to equip me to make healthy choices in my eating. I have struggled with overeating and have had an unhealthy dependency on food since I was a child. Eating disorders lace my background and no matter how hard I tried I was never able to practice self-control (in a healthy way) with eating. Well, until her class.
In truth I had been making small changes over the years with regards to healthy eating, but taking her class was kind of like the climax. All of a sudden I was able to create a regimen that aided me in being disciplined with my eating. Once I understood the purpose of food, that it was to give my body energy, I made choices for that purpose and not to satisfy lust or neediness. I have followed this regimen for over 2 years, 104 weeks, and 730 days.
Every
Single
Day.
It is the grace of the Father that has enabled me to carve out what I can only describe as a healthy eating lifestyle. The definition of a lifestyle is that of a habit and habits stem from choices. It was that choice to take her class that led me to ultimately dropping 2 pants sizes, 20 lbs and gaining control in an area of longstanding weakness. I could have never fathomed how much I would reap from making that one choice. Others have followed my example and have reaped the rewards of practicing a clean eating lifestyle. My decisions have influenced the decisions of those around me.
Now in this season, Holy Spirit is teaching me about being healthy emotionally. For a very long time my emotions would lead me. I would respond and react immediately out of my emotions. But now I see the importance of choosing to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. The importance of humility.
Our choices are the first stepping stone in creating our destiny. Free will is so important to the Lord that even He, Himself will not override it. I believe He is well aware of the choices we will make in our lives, and includes our choices in His ultimate plan. If we are for Him, He makes those choices work for our good, whether they are good or bad. I can look back on my journey thus far and see that every time He asked me to choose His way above my own, He was leading me to make a good choice. And every time I listened, it brought me to a greater level of maturity in Him. I had no idea His ultimate plan was to reveal His best in me. I only knew I was grieved when He was grieved, and He was grieved when I did not obey.
At the end of this life, our choices will define us. We will have nothing earthly that we can take with us when our time has ended. But we will one day be accountable for the life we lived on the planet. If we know Him, we will be forgiven for our short comings. But even if we know Him, we still have choices this side of heaven that will reveal if we carried out His destiny. If we fulfilled His original intention for us. If we lived out His story.
His story truly is the best story. His will and desire truly is the best. And each day we are given is an opportunity to choose Life, Wisdom, Health.
And Him.
Shalom
