"I would rather have FREEDOM and TRUTH with responsibility
than have comfort with a prisoner cell." ~CH
This month's blog is actually a snippet of the book I'm currently working on which I know could be life-changing revelation for some and is God-inspired!
Well, the fat is just about everywhere! Sadly, you don’t have to look very far to see
it. It could be your typical person
these days that is 50-100 lbs or more overweight, on several medications for
conditions they are not improving, eating french fries as vegetables and
counting tv channel surfing as exercise.
It could also be the kind of fat we can’t see that is even worse for our
health like past hurt from a relationship gone bad, unforgiveness towards those
who have done something against us or that we hold against ourselves and anger
towards God or a person that is unresolved. Similarly, when considering both kinds of fat,
there are numerous circumstances in life that cause both kinds of fat to build
or store up. We have to remember that
the “fat” isn’t the issue, but what is causing that fat to accumulate. Yes, too much “fat” storage will eventually
lead to health and life problems, but if you cut off the SOURCE, you WILL cut
off the supply. Once there is no supply,
the fat is sure to die. I realize
though, that this is much easier said than done. The truth is that the “supply” we “feed”
ourselves can be deeply rooted and all too often we just try to trim the weeds
instead of actually uprooting them. The
weeds keep coming back and sometimes with a vengeance and we can find ourselves
“holding” onto more fat than ever.
An important point here to remember is that there are really
only 2 directions in life…forward and backward or hot and cold. There is no standing still or lukewarm. We are either becoming a better person or
getting worse in who we are.
Furthermore, our bodies are either getting healthier or unhealthier. One of the greatest lies or “fats” that is
circulating out there that is stuck in peoples’ minds is that the goal of life
is to be happy as well as comfortable with who you are. That sounds good and positive to many people
on the surface, but if you take a closer look, you will see that it is a
severely limited mindset that will hold you back.
First, let’s look at “being happy.” Happiness is not a destination; it is
something we have to strive for everyday of our lives. It is a journey. We don't just reach this magical place of
being happy and stay there. No, happiness
is a choice that we have to make every day. It is an attitude that we carry
around with us. It is a way of thinking
and a way of life. Also, happiness in
and of itself is a self-serving purpose because it is centered around the
individual. We were created for a much greater purpose than to just simply be
happy. Many people choose shallow
purposes of life like "happiness," but those that live out a much greater
purpose have TRUE joy and peace in their lives.
They are focused on a bigger picture in life than just themselves. Life is not about a certain amount of money,
material, fame or fortune. It isn't about accomplishments, achievements, comfort,
how we appear to everyone or what our circumstances say. We weren't created for ourselves, but a much
higher purpose to impact generations and to fix our eyes on things not of this
world. The things of this world will
come and go and once we die, they won’t matter to us anymore. We need to consider the purpose of
continually improving our own lives as well as the lives of those around us so
that everyone may be able to see and live the TRUTH and ditch the lies.
Second, let’s take a closer look at being comfortable. If you get too comfortable with your life or
with who you are as a person, you are setting yourself up for a future
ambush. You will eventually become
bored, tired, frustrated, disappointed and/or disgusted with the person you are
or the life you are living, whether it is concerning your relationships with
people including yourself and/or your own body image and health. All of these things will hit you like a ton
of bricks. It could be that you end up
realizing that all of the things that made you “comfortable” in the past have
left you with a big void in your life currently. It could be that you continued to justify and
make excuses for your life or your health, all the while there was an elephant
sitting in the corner that just kept getting bigger because you chose to keep
feeding that elephant. It could also be
that you stayed in your “comfort zone” because you didn’t have the right things
driving you or you feared the unknown.
Well, I promise you that if you always stay in your comfort zone, you
will never have TRUE peace, joy and fulfillment in your life. Furthermore, if you never step out of your
comfort zone, you will never be able to face and defeat your fears and be
victorious. We were created to be
VICTORS, not VICTIMS!
Staying in your comfort zone and just trying to have
happiness are 2 of the most life-sucking ”fats”. It could be eating too many comfort foods or
being comfortable not exercising and buying into lies like “I will always be
fat” or “My parents were unhealthy and I guess I will be too.” These are absolute LIES that too many people
begin believing and then create a reality with these lies. These lies can develop such a stronghold on
your life that you begin basing most of your decisions on them. It really is a debilitating disease of the
mind and spirit, but will manifest physically on or in your body in the form of
fat or health problems.
Another destructive fat that accumulates from staying in your
comfort zone or just trying to be happy is pouring yourself into things like
work, relationships, tv, video games, hobbies, etc. that are comfortable for
you, but never cause you to become a better person and help you to grow into
the person you were created to be.
Furthermore, if you choose to stay in your comfort zone, you will never
have true happiness and will get OBESE INTERNALLY and most likely externally. The things that make you “comfortable” are
external things, but true happiness comes from the inside or the unseen
things. We need to identify the external
“fats” in our lives before we can focus on getting “lean” internally. Think of trying to focus on saving money
without first establishing a budget. You
need to first figure out what the problem areas are or the areas that have an
excess of “fat.” Then you can begin doing
the things that will help you to get lean and healthy inside and out. As you do these things, you will see the fat
begin to sizzle off. You will feel
better, look better, live better and be better to those around you. You will begin to experience a more fulfilling
life and will have more to offer. As
each piece of fat sizzles off, you will be one step closer to unlocking the
life you were meant to live…the life you were created for. In the upcoming chapters, each one will focus
on an unhealthy fat and healthy ways to “burn” that fat for good. Let’s get burning!
