Don't Settle for Less than God's Best for your Life!

Today in church, Bro. Tommy talked about Abraham, and how God told him that He would give him an heir. But when time passed and Sarah had not conceived, she and Abraham got impatient, and decided to "help God out", by having Abraham take Hagar for his mistress to have a son (Ishmael). But Ishmael was not the heir God had planned for Abraham, so he was destined to be a "wild man" with many enemies. 

How often do we get impatient on our journey, whether on our weight loss journey, or in a relationship, or maybe in our job?  We know what to do, what to eat, how to exercise, but when the immediate results don't appear quickly enough, what do we do?  Get discouraged and slack off?  Maybe quit altogether? Maybe we have the thought that "the scale is not moving, so I may as well eat whatever I want" or "I'm not losing weight, I may as well stop working out". 

If this is your attitude, you are settling for less than God's best for your life!  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).  When you think about that...Our body is the dwelling place of God!  He created us...What great care was given to its design! 

Do you remember the story of Esau trading his birthright to his brother Jacob...for what? For food!!!

One day, Esau returned home from an unsuccessful hunting trip totally famished, and demanded some stew from his brother. “I’ll give you food,” agreed Jacob, “but first, trade me your birthright.” Esau replied, “Okay, I’m so hungry, I’m about to die.” So Esau traded the honors due to him as the firstborn son for a simple meal of stew.

I cannot imagine selling my whole birthright for a pot of soup. BUT...when I look at my own life, I ask, “What great thing have I traded for so little in return? How often do I trade healthy food for junk food? What temporary pleasure have I craved so much that I gave up lasting victory?”  Each time I was settling for less than God's best for my life.

Desperation breeds defeat. Decide in advance what you will and will not eat each day! The best time to plan meals for me is right after breakfast when I’m feeling full and satisfied. The absolute worst time for me to decide what I’m going to eat is when I’ve waited until I’m tired and feeling hungry. Prepare a healthy snack to have on hand or keep in your purse during the day, and already have an idea of what you will be having that night for supper!

When you're  unprepared or you're rushed through a proper meal, your stomach screams for something quick. And quick options usually come in a variety of unhealthy temptations.... swinging through the drive thru, grabbing that chocolate bar or bag of chips. Make time each day to ... Decide to eat healthy today.  Preparation leads to success. Don't settle for LESS than God's best for your life!