Die-it

I just got back from my morning workout. Today I ran close to 3 miles and did about 45 minutes of weight training. I'm buff. :)

Over the last few months I've been working out more often and playing basketball twice a week at the local YMCA. It's been good to get the blood flowing again. Until I got into the ministry I was very active usually playing a few sports at any given time. Once I got out of college and behind a desk I've seen my muscles get covered with fat tissue and my energy level drop unless I was on a Starbucks high. Recently I've been making lifestyle changes to course-correct.

I have a 2 year old son and later this year expect my wife and I to be pregnant again. I have a selfish goal that I've had since I was a 16 year old. I want to actively play sports with my children when they are in high school. Chanel surfing and Nintendo WII don't count. I refuse to be a part of my generation's "World of Warcraft" movement by becoming a man who does most of his work with his brain and then sits on his rear the rest of the time.

Okay... now that you know my motivation, here is an illustration.

Yesterday I was in my local Starbucks (don't laugh) and I was trying to learn more about my options so that I could drop down my caloric intake substantially. My normal Starbucks drink is about 470 calories. Yesterday (after studying my options) I got something similar that ended up being 220 calories. Actually I ended up only drinking a few sips but that's beside the point.

Since I'm there often, the barista noticed and said "I don't believe in diets." I politely said "Ohh yeah?" She continued "My mother was always on diets and she never lost a D*^m pound. Diets don't work. Every time she'd lose weight she'd try to stop smoking and then she'd gain weight again. Diets suck."

I said "It sounds like your mother has an addictive personality." She agreed and we had more small talk about how this girl was in rehab programs and failed the 9th grade 3 times.

Anyway... she's right. Diets suck. So do most people's view of discipleship. People who go from being overweight and out of shape and actually keep it off aren't "Dieters". When you get "ON" a diet what ultimately has to happen? Yep. You get "OFF" of the diet. Diets alone will never accomplish what you want for your life (especially if like me you too want to play sports with your kids in 15 years). If you're just on a diet... you've got to Die-it. (corny enough?)

What works is LIFESTYLE change. What works is learning about your body, learning about your habits, getting so ticked off at status quo that you decide to despise the things that kept you in bondage. Spiritually speaking you need to smash some un-bibilcal idols. You can't be cool with using an idol in those times of desperation. You've got to be willing to destroy the chains that bind.

So here's the deal. Let's not teach people to go on spiritual diets. Let's teach people to smash their stinkin' idols and look at them the way our God does. Discipleship isn't about the next conference or 'rah rah' session... Discipleship is looking to Jesus and then looking at self and chiseling off the things about self that don't reflect Jesus.

See Also: Perry's thoughts on not being fat anymore part 1, part 2