It's not a diet, it is a lifestyle!

If you have tried losing weight or are trying to eat right I am sure you have heard this phrase. How
many of us have tried the crash diets that give us fast results; however, when we go back to eating how we used to bam, that weight is back!

Crash diets do not last and they aren't very healthy. Shocking your body like that is not a nice way to treat it. What we need is consistency! We need to feed our bodies good food and not a whole lot of junk food that may taste good but has no health benefit. To win at our health we need to make the changes that will give our bodies the best energy!

Does this advice sound good? Did you know you can take this advice in a deeper way as well?
If you want to win in your relationship with God you need consistency as well! You need to feed your spirit man the good stuff by getting in the Word/Bible on a daily basis: reading through the Bible, doing a Bible study, sermons, or teaching.

Having time for God one day a week and then doing what you want the rest of the days is not healthy for you. That can lead to you feeling guilty for not spending enough time time with God so you "crash diet" taking in all the preaching/teaching you can for a couple days, playing nothing but Christian music and making an effort to pray. You start feeling good and the pounds of sin and guilt are shedding away! You feel more confident in your walk with God then you slowly start enjoying more "desserts"; you start to compromise. 

You had a long day at work and God knows you love Him, so you skip out on your Bible reading for one day, but that turns into skipping 3 days and then you haven't picked up your Bible all week.

You can't be a good example to your friends if you don't hang out with them, so the parties and bars are okay for you to be in. Accepting one drink/smoke lets your friends know you aren't a "goody two shoes". You need to make them feel that you are still cool. You reason they will listen to you more if you do what they do.

The guy/girl you have been eyeing has agreed to date you! It doesn't matter to you that they aren't a Christian; you will win them to Christ. You tell yourself going to the bars and having sex outside of marriage will end quickly once you tell them about Jesus.

All of a sudden you look at yourself in the mirror and see the pounds that you had lost are back - and there are more with them! The feeling of guilt and shame is back and you beat yourself up. Do you try another "crash diet"? Or do figure the pounds are going to come back again anyways so why bother?

Dear one, no matter how delicious that "life of fun" is, is it really worth separation from your one true Love?

15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

This world will not last forever; what will is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If we say yes to God then we can live with Him in eternity! I encourage you to throw the past behind, give yourself wholly to God and walk faithfully with Him! I know, it isn't always easy, that is why we have brothers and sisters in Christ. That is why we come together, fellowship and encourage one another.
 So my dear friend, give up the crash diets and eat well in the richness and fullness of our Lord!

14 

From men with Your hand, O Lord,

From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life—idle and vain,

And whose belly You fill with Your treasure;

They are satisfied with children,

And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children.

15 

As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness;

I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.

Psalm 17:14-15