How would you finish that sentence?
I think most of us would finish it this way, "...all things are possible." I would have always finished it that way myself, but then, I sat down to read today's devotion and this is what I learned:
"'With God, all lavish things are possible!' But if you study this verse in the original context, it actually means, 'With man, it is impossible to deny yourself. With man, it is impossible to make sacrifices. With man, it is impossible to have self-control. But with God, all sacrificial things are possible. With God, all self-control is possible.' I believe this one little shift in our thinking can make us feel empowered, instead of feeling denied. Rather than giving in to the foods we crave, we can have God’s self-control to make a completely different decision, such as a decision for health . . . a decision for renewed energy . . . a decision for confidence and peace. Most importantly, a decision that honors both our body and God!"
Lately, I've been reading and trying to learn more about eating right, nutrition, and the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to stay healthy. In the past, I've had the opportunity to glean from doctors such as Dr. Haider, Dr. Ardis, and now, Dr. Livingood.
All three doctors focus on natural health and what our bodies need naturally to remain healthy and functioning normal, keeping sickness at bay as long as possible. They focus on health care, not sick care, which most medical doctors have traditionally focused on.
Keeping your body filled with what it needs to not get sick in the first place. Not filling your body up with prescriptions and foreign aids when it becomes sick.
Are these safeguards against never getting sick or diseased? Of course not, but they will keep your body more healthy when everyone else is fighting colds or viruses.
Getting back to the three doctors I like to follow - There is one thing they all agree on & it seems simple enough - until it's not. Sugar. Sugar is the culprit in most of our lives. It always causes more harm than good. It sets off a chain of reactions inside your body that lead to destruction and health issues.
(I am not a doctor, and I won't try to go into the medical explanations here. Do some research and begin to understand what sugar does to the human body.)
Changing your lifestyle to eliminate most sugar is a hard feat. Everything we love has sugar in it. Candy, desserts, ...even our coffee.
Speaking of coffee, this is one of the small dietary changes I have made this month. You may have seen I added a page to this blog and an image to the sidebars.
I've recently switched to Lifeboost coffee after some investigating and digging deep. I've also switched off creamer and to heavy cream and vanilla syrup. That one little change a coworker shared with me years ago has helped my mornings feel SO MUCH BETTER. You wouldn't think one little change could cause a difference, but it does.
Yet, the battle with sugar through the rest of my day rages on (as it does with most of us). This morning, I sat down with my Lifeboost coffee and began to read through my morning devotions. All was good until I reached the last one, and there it was, "...with man, it is impossible to make sacrifices; with man, it is impossible to have self control. BUT, with God, all sacrificial things are possible; with God, all self-control is possible!"
And there it was. Staring me in the face.
I can't eliminate sugar on my own. Scripture (in it's original text) says that in my human form, I don't have the ability to make sacrifices. But - WITH GOD - I do!
I know that this seems simple - a dietary change - but I also know that everyone that reads that Scripture has a different obstacle in their path. Yours may be dietary or it might be physical - or it might be emotional or mental.
Scripture still stands clear. On our own, we lack the capability to completely sacrifice and have self-control. But with God on our side, we gain the very traits we lack. This is such a simple post this morning, but I had to share because it touched me right where I am! ...and isn't that what Scripture is supposed to do?
My yoke is heavy, but with God, it can be light! Instead of struggling constantly with sugar, I am going to shift my focus and give that burden to God. I'm going to lighten my burden and claim Scripture.
I love sugar (a.k.a. chocolate) too much to give it up 100%, but I can make small, dietary changes to get further down the road of renewed energy and health. I am thankful this morning to a God that reaches down even into my real & everyday life, speaking to me about food and the building blocks my body needs.
No big Scripture or Spiritual revelations this morning. Just Him meeting me where I am.
I think this will be my Scripture memorization for the week. If you are struggling (with sugar or whatever is on your path today), let's make a promise to apply this Scripture to our lives together! There is always VICTORY in Jesus. Let's claim it this morning!
It's Sunday. Let's make today count!
