Christian encouragement

I have a question for you...If someone were to imitate your lifestyle, where would their health be?How would they look & feel physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually? Would they be stronger, more peaceful, more active & more joyful? Or would they be worn down, anxious, not sleeping well, sedentary & disconnected from God?If that thought brings a little conviction, that's okay! The Holy Spirit convicts. Satan condemns.

I'm sure you've heard the saying “Comparison is the thief of joy.”And it is!One of the enemy's most effective tactics is comparison. He'll whisper that you aren't good enough. That you'll never be loved. That your body isn't right. That you're a failure & will never measure up.He'll have you look at someone else's life, calling, marriage, business or body & question your own. If yours doesn't look like theirs, he'll try to convince you that you've failed.These lies are designed to keep you stuck, rooted in fear & distracted from your purpose.

You don't need to look better for God, but you DO need to steward the body He's given you well!I want to encourage you to HONOR GOD WITH YOUR HEALTH.When you truly honor God, you seek to honor Him in every area of your life, including the way you care for your body, mind & spirit.Romans 12:1 reminds us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.Caring for your health isn't about vanity. It's an act of WORSHIP! It's gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice & reverence for the life God has entrusted to you.

When it comes to making changes in your health & life, real transformation begins with your THOUGHTS!As Frank Jackson wisely said:“Watch your thoughts, they become your words.Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your habits.Watch your habits, they become your character.Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

When you're constantly doing, rushing from one thing to the next & always on the go, you're putting yourself at risk for burnout. You're likely overstressed, under-rested & potentially even spiritually malnourished!Here's something I want you to really think about...BUSYNESS ISN'T BIBLICAL!The Bible values rest, stillness & peaceful living. Even Jesus intentionally withdrew from the hustle & bustle to spend time in prayer, and He encouraged His disciples to do the same.In Mark 6:30-32, the disciples had just returned from their ministry tour & were excitedly telling Jesus everything they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat!

I want to share a little reminder and some encouragement with you today. Courage doesn't wait for fear to leave. It moves anyway!My cousin was in town last week & wanted to go rock climbing. Now, I'd only ever climbed one wall, one time, over 20 years ago!The way UP isn't a problem for me. It's the way DOWN that scares me! I'm not afraid of heights, I'm afraid of falling.I didn't want to miss out on spending time with him, so I immediately said I was down to go. And you know what? It was SO FUN!! I only had one moment when I was a little scared, but the rest of the experience was absolutely amazing!I was so proud of myself! I even ended up doing a level 2 climb on the tallest wall available & MADE IT TO THE TOP!