Don't Forget Your River Stones - Part 3

Don’t Forget Your River Stones – Part 3

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:4

River Stones… David’s trust wasn’t in the river stones or his ability to use the slingshot, his trust was in God.  Knowing that he needed no other shield of protection, David laid aside the weight of Saul’s armor and marched to war with weapons he could trust from previous experience.  Saul wanted David to wear a bronze helmet and a coat of mail, but David took them off.

What weapons are you using against your giant?  There are five “river stones” we have and need to fight the giant of obesity: motivation, understanding, conviction, knowledge, and trust.  These five “stones” will defeat your enemy.  I call this a “transferable truth,” which you can always carry with you into future battles.  Keep your slingshot of power, which is your faith in God, and arm yourself with these five stones and prepare yourself for the next war.

Stone # 1: MOTIVATION

Be motivated by the truth of God’s plan for you.  Jeremiah 29:11 God tells us He has a plan for us, a plan for good and not evil, a plan for a future and a hope.  His plan is not for us to be sick because of our weight.  God wants us to be healthy and prosperous.  Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life.  God created so many things in this world for us to enjoy, mountains, streams, lakes, but most of us can’t enjoy them because we are not healthy and wouldn’t make it around the mall, let alone a hike up a mountain or hill.

Having the right reason for losing weight advances your success in winning the prize you are after.  You must determine exactly what it is you want so that when the enemy laughs in your face (and he will), you won’t forget your reason for standing firmly against him.  Motivation is the first stone you need to pick up for your battle.

Let me ask you this:  If you were already fit and healthy, what would you be doing that you aren’t doing right now?  What would you do if you felt good enough to do it?  Would you take your children to the park more often?  Would you say yes when they ask you to join in a game of volleyball in the front yard?

Would you keep a tidier house?  Would you exude more confidence in your relationship with your spouse?  How do you think weight control would help strengthen your other relationships?  The enemy wants to keep you from enjoying a quality life.

Decide What Game You Want to Win

The first phase of training for your new lifestyle is psychological preparation.  You need to know why you want to make a change.  You need to find a motivation that is big enough and strong enough to defeat the tempter when he tries to take away your mission.  You may never train for the Olympics, but this race we’re running is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to be able to finish the race set before us and not die an early death because we are not healthy.

Romans 12:1-2 tell us, “(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2) And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

It is a sacrifice we need to present to God.  God is more glorified by living sacrifices than by shortened lives.  God wants to use you, but you need to make certain changes for the stamina to serve Him.  It’s really not for image that it needs to be done, but for health.  But, who doesn’t want to look their best?

No matter what the challenge is in life, you cannot meet it without being motivated to succeed.  When God was preparing Israel to conquer the Promised Land, He required them to send spies over to view what they were going to conquer.  He knew that motivated people are conquering people.  He knew that whenever we are motivated to succeed, we are relentless to conquer.  So He wanted them to taste the grapes from where they were going.

Don’t be afraid to see yourself at the size and in the shape you want to be.  Get a clear picture of your DREAM in your mind.  Make plans for it.  This battle will not be won at the table or in the gym.  It will be won in your mind.  It is won when you set your face toward the Promised Land and decide you are going to drive that giant back out of your house.

The battle is won by holding up your promise of abundant life and saying, “I want it.  I want it now!  I don’t want to get ill to lose weight. I do not want to staple my stomach or mutilate myself through strange drugs.  It want it by faith.  The just shall live by faith.  I will have it by faith.  Amen.”

To be continued…

Until tomorrow, be blessed!

Remember to DREAM!