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How many of us made this most common New Year’s resolution?
Interestingly, my Devotional Bible reading this week focused on Lamentations 3:40 —
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
The devotional pointed out that just as a lawyer, accountant, or athlete is no better than the effort he or she puts into keeping up with the profession, so is the Christian no better than the effort he or she puts into self-examination of life’s big questions.
That made me recall the Pastor from Capital Baptist Church in Northern Virginia (we spent a year in Washington, D.C. from 2007 – 2008 and regularly attended his church then). Pastor Steve Reynolds has been labeled “The Anti-Fat Pastor” after he lost more than 100 pounds and launched a stunningly successful weight-loss program in his church and community. Steve had been overweight all of his life—he weighed over 100 pounds in the first grade! After playing football during high school and college, he vowed never to exercise or run laps again. That was one promise he kept, ballooning to 340 pounds and staying there for years. In his book Bod 4 God, Pastor Steve reveals the four keys that unlocked the door to health and fitness for him and for countless others.
Bod4God: Four Keys to a Better Body
According to Ken Ferraro, a sociology professor who has studied religion and bodyweight since the early-1990s, America is becoming known as a nation of gluttony & obesity and churches are a breeding ground for this problem. Pastor Steve points out that God is concerned about our bodies, as noted by the fact that the Bible uses the word “Body” 179 times. His “Losing to Live” campaign slogan is: “Lord, I’m going to deny myself, take up the cross, and follow you.” He notes that we don’t need more weight loss programs, but instead a working lifestyle change program.
The D.I.E.T. Plan: 4 Keys to a Better Body
1. Dedication: Honoring God with Your Body
We start by bringing our behavior in line with our belief system. For Christians, this means we’re to be “living sacrifices & holy.” The Body is not for gratification of self but for glorification of God.
2. Inspiration: Motivating Yourself for Change
For Pastor Steve, his motivation was “Quit digging your grave with a knife & fork.” Instead, he needed to rely on God: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
3. Eat & Exercise: Managing Your Habits
Pastor Steve’s simple lifestyle advice: eat less & exercise more. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (First Corinthians 10:31) “That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.” (1 Thessalonians 4:4)
He also urges others to drink more water. Dr. Colbert’s The Seven Pillars of Health says, “Water is the single most important nutrient for our bodies… Take your weight in pounds and divide by two. The result is how many ounces of water you should drink daily.”
4. Team: Building Your Circle of Support
Our lifestyle needs accountability from others. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
Whether you have a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight or not, may these tips help you make the right lifestyle choices, as you shoot for the stars!