Healthy Living: Obstacles

I’ve always loved the Ford Mustang. It is a beautiful car. But no matter how great that car is, if it doesn’t have gas or oil or a working engine, it won’t drive. The same is true of us. We can only be as much as our bodies allow us to be. Without the fuel and health it needs on the inside, it can’t be what it was intended to be on the outside.

Our bodies are a vessel--a vessel used to accomplish our mission every day in order to impact the world. Many of us do not even know the great things our bodies can do because we have been living with a broken body for so long. We do not realize that the physical, emotional and spiritual struggles we are having are directly related, in part, to our broken temple.

It is time to take control of your health and set priorities straight in order to help your body be what it was created to be—a strong and effective machine! This will take discipline. But by investing in your health, you are impacting every other area of your life. When we feed, fuel, and exercise our bodies, they operate as God created them to.

There are many reasons we have for not taking control of our health. It is important to recognize these strongholds so we can demolish them and take the right steps.

Busyness is probably our worst enemy to being healthy. Putting your health first does take time. I am a professional and a mommy with a full time career and a family, so I understand busy. Do not fall into the lie that you are too busy to take care of yourself. This is not true. It just takes intentionality and understanding.

Food itself can be our enemy. The food God made brings great fulfillment. But, eating healthy has become increasingly harder as food has been warped from God’s original design. We now see food as a means to give us pleasure and gratification, more than fuel, and we find pleasure in food that is not fuel. The food industry has added things to our food that has changed our tastes to not find pleasure in the food that God made for us to enjoy. Our bodies now crave the bad stuff, which makes it almost impossible to find the discipline to stay away from it. Also, we seek emotional comfort in food, which also shows our self gratifying nature. Whether we are sad, stressed, or just needing a break, we tend to seek release in food. Again, this is far from God’s design, as He wants us to turn to Him, not food.

Also, convenience is a new pursuit in our life, so we are willing to sacrifice healthy food for quick food. I can picture people before the world of convenience, taking time on their food. I can see them picking their food from the ground, washing it, cutting it, etc. During this time, their thoughts easily turned to the Lord. By making everything so quick and at our disposal, we are taking away time that can be spent meditating on things of God and hearing from God. When I am cutting up foods, I am thinking. During those times, God can speak to me. Satan loves convenience.

Not knowing how to eat healthy is another obstacle. Many people want to make the right choices, but they don’t know where to start and don’t know how to do it. Or they might be thinking they are eating well, but they are missing some key things.

I am looking forward to simply sharing with you what has worked for me. There will be blogs to come that help you take charge of your body by committing to better health. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to this blog, so you won't miss these lifestyle tips that will help you feel better mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically, greatly impacting every area of your life. I hope we can quit living tired, sluggish and heavy, and start living the light and energetic life God intended. Your best life. Now.