Who Are You Doing it For? ~ Sunday Devotional
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (NIV)
My early days of dieting and weight loss pursuit were all about gaining the approval of others.
I didn’t want my mom to worry about my weight.
In high school, I wanted the boys to notice me. When I got older, I wanted to gain the attention of someone to marry me.
Throughout that time, I compared myself to others and wanted to be as thin as or look as good as so and so.
Eventually I had to admit that my obsession with weight loss was all about looking good to everyone around me. (Side note with a little tough love: People really didn’t care how much I weighed, and they don’t particularly care how much you do either. If they do, that’s on them.)
I loved Jesus but in this area of my life, I was not serving Him. I was serving myself. I was trying to please people and live up to what I thought society deemed thin and pretty and marriage-worthy.
Thankfully, God didn’t give up on me. When I tired of the constant pursuit of weight loss and excessive worry about what everyone thought, He was there to lead me in a new direction.
I learned how to honor Him by honoring my body. That didn’t require a diet or a certain number on a scale. It simply required me to commit my healthy living journey to Him and let Him guide me.
Although we have access to social media right now, we’re pretty much spending most of our time in our homes and behind closed doors. It’s a good time to ask ourselves why we do what we do.
If no one is watching, are we still doing that thing…whatever that thing is? If there’s no one around to comment on your weight loss or your looks, will you still eat, move, exercise the way you were before no one was watching?
Is pleasing the Lord truly the motivation for your healthy living pursuit – whatever that looks like?
It’s a question that keeps me grounded, but one that for many years I had trouble answering.
I know that I want to serve Christ and Christ alone. That means that each day I have to set my focus on how to please Him. The best way I’ve learned to please Him is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Happy Sunday!
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