Due to three months of not being able to run plus all the good food of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have put some weight back on. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m more than ready to start hitting the country roads and pushing away from the table. Before surgery, I had run a 7K and the next weekend, a full 10K. The feeling of accomplishment was so great! I never dreamed that I could run without stopping for one hour. Due to constant exercise and a right diet, weight was not a burden to my life.
How about you spiritually? Is there a weight in your life that needs to be dropped that is hindering your spiritual growth? Do you need to change your diet? Be honest. Is it anger? Is it bitterness? Is it laziness? Could it be gossip? How about pornography? Perhaps unforgiveness? Whatever sin it is, you know what it is. The Holy Spirit has revealed it to you many times. And praise the Lord, you can by His grace, overcome any sin (Romans 5:20). So, what is your plan this new year to overcome the sin that clings so close to you (Hebrews 12:1)? The Lord desires for us to live in freedom, to be able to serve without hindrances, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
Here are some suggestions to help your spiritual exercise/diet plan:
- Get honest with the Lord and yourself about your sin (Psalm 139:23-24).
- Search the Scriptures for what God says about your sin. Compare what God says to why you like your sin. What’s the verdict?
- Choose a verse or passage to memorize and use every time you are tempted (Psalm 119:9-11).
- Work through the Scripture passages, one-a-day, for 40 days. Record in your journal what God reveals to you about your sin and the victory that He can give.
- Share your ups and downs with your spouse or an accountability partner. This is for help and edification only, not judgment. An accountability partner can be a real source of prayer support and a spiritual cheerleader.
- Remember Proverbs 24:16, For a just man falls seven times but he rises up again. If you fail, don’t stay down. Rand Hummel has said so often, “There are two kinds of men. Those who fight sin and those who give up.”
So, let’s run the race that is before us, dropping off the weights, and finishing strong! (Hebrew 12:1-2)
From A Pastor's Heart 