So the other day, I tweeted about diets. Everyone I talk to seems to be on a "diet". Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's annoying or stupid, I applaud people who are successful "dieters" (not really sure if that's a word) but what I am saying, is that diets don't work the way people expect them to. I have my friends that know a diet involves more than saying no to unhealthy food occasionally, and then there are people who expect to turn down a slice of cake and some ice cream and think that will do them justice in their "diet". Another extreme would be people who are extremely controlling of everything they eat, and essentially starve them selves skinny. By no means, do the last two options work well. It's funny though, because the more I thought about it, the more I realize the parallels between diets and a relationship with God.
People who go on diets, want results. They see thousands of ads and magazines with photos of models who seems to be perfect in all the right areas. So when they make the decision to go on a diet, they think, "Hey, I want to look like this person, or be able to wear this." In the same way, when we are striving to start or better our relationship with God, we have a goal in mind. Sometimes, it can even be selfish, but God sees our hearts and knows our motives, so it's pointless to try and fool Him.
Many people think that church every Sunday is enough. I am not saying this to cut down anyone at all, but if we want to really see God's promises and blessings in our life, its essential that we walk daily with Him; not behind Him or in front of Him. When I say "walking in front or behind God", I mean it in the sense that sometimes we get so into our selves that we think, "Hey, I've walked enough with God for the past few months, I think I can figure out the next few steps of my life on my own." Or when we walk behind, we fall out step completely and think, "He would be so disappointed in me, there's no point in trying to sync back up with Him."
Attending church every Sunday is like saying no to that one slice of cake, but indulging in all the other unhealthy food we want, as long as we think it's in reason. Like, "Oh, it's only one cake pop and Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks (every day of the week...)".{guilty} --When we choose to attend church once a week, every Sunday, especially out of "I have to go" attitude, we are starving ourselves of the essential "nutrients" the rest of the week. It's not healthy for our spirit to lack time with God. Church is great to feed us, but just like a diet, we need a balance. Say you chose to start a diet today, then the rest of the week, didn't follow it...but come next Tuesday, you decided, this is it, I'm going to start my diet", it's essentially what we do to our spirit every week.We get off on the right foot, but in order to keep achieve the goal, it's important to maintain a steady balance.
When we choose to walk daily with God, we are opening up a whole other area of our life to him. We are completely surrendering ourselves to let Him work in us. You'll notice a difference, as will others. Sometimes it can be hard to get back in the swing of things, but God is so full of mercy and grace, it is incomprehensible to us. Our setbacks and mistakes may cost us in our physical life, but in the end, we can ALWAYS return to Him. [Psalm 51:1-1]
So since we are not perfect, or we may not be obedient every single day, the least I can encourage is to seek out time with Him. I did a study over the summer with a group of women that really discussed how important it is to have that quiet time with God. And to be honest, having quiet time in general is really important. We live in a world that is overrun with "being busy". We jam pack our days from the minute we get up, til the minute we crawl into bed. It really is crucial to set aside time and slow the pace of your life down a bit. I am extremely guilty of always packing my days and I am the worst at saying "no" to people, especially when it comes to work; it's easy for me to lose track of the days. Lately I've been able to have more down time and it really has been beneficial in all areas of my life. Hopefully this is a little encouragement to make some own time for yourself!
P.S. --- This song JUST came on and it's so perfect for right now. Go look it up, if you haven't heard it.
Seventh Day Slumber - From the Inside Out
{A thousand times I've failed, yet Your mercy remains. Should I stumble again? Still I'm calling your name. Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades. Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame.}I am pretty sure I've failed way over a thousand times, and yet I still turn to God. He promises to never turn His back on us, there is so much comfort in knowing that.
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