The "Weight" of the Matter

I have always thought myself to be strong. I have never been one to falter in my decisions or beliefs based on the opinions of those around me. Some might say I am strong-willed... others might say stubborn. Lately, I have found myself getting caught up in societies criticism of the female body. More than ever, people are going crazy about their weight / looks. Now, I know I could stand to lose a few pounds and I recognize this. But, for the most part, I am happy with the way I look. I am enjoying working out and getting back in shape, but I am not going to starve myself. I've been exercising faithfully 4 times a week for 6 weeks now and haven't lost one single pound. But that is OK! I recently read a devotion entitled " God-size Eyes." Rocked my world! This was exactly what I needed at this time in my life. God is so faithful and on time! This study talked about how the incredible women in the Bible are referred to as beautiful, but are never described. We never are told what makes them beautiful physically. We are told that Sarah had beautiful countenance and Rebekah was beautiful to behold. Were these women thin, blonde, short? Were they blue eyed, heavy set, tall? We don't know. We do know that these women were incredible in their love of God. They were known for their actions that exhibited Christ.

Do we, as women, take this seriously these days? Why are we so worried about our hair color, our pant size, our extra 10 lbs...yet not worried at all that our friends, family, coworkers, and the strangers we meet are not seeing the love of Jesus in us? Wanna hear something sad? My quiet time every morning isn't too much longer than the amount of time I spend in the gym everyday! What if we took more time becoming spiritually beautiful and less time physically beautiful? After all, God knows our beginnings and our endings. He promises to fill our needs. I was reading in Romans this week and this morning just happened upon these verses... Romans 14: 17-18 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. What a wonderful promise!!
There is something to be said about keeping His temple (our bodies) pure and holy. And we are told that gluttony is a sin. There has to be a happy median. When I find myself spending more time calculating calories or scheduling workout time than I do on my knees in prayer and reading my bible and eagerly
seeking His face, something is wrong. We, as women, seek approval from the world around us...instead of seeking our Creator's will for us. I have spent a lot of time praying over this particular issue and I keep hearing the same answer "I created you. Find your peace in Me." I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the same God who created this entire world. I am just as important to Him as anyone else; big, little, fat, skinny, black, white, brown, short, tall.... My Father knows the number of hairs on my head, knows my thoughts and motives, sees every tear, feels every heartbreak. He knows that my desire is to live a life that honors Him, heavy or not. My prayer this week is that my motives are pure in everything I do. I seek to know His will for my life and do not want to leave that path. I know He has great things in store for me.
May your week be full of revelation! May you hear Him calling your name. Sit in His presence, seek His will.
Spiritually Spanked! ~BG~