Where's The Fat?

"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!