Lesson

Spiritual Health

 

Fully Integrated

There seems to be a lot of buzz about living a “balanced life,” but is it a balanced life or a centered life that we are actually looking for? Of course, we do not want to live in such a way that we are all about work or all about our health, but the problem with the idea of a balanced life is that it leads me to picture a pie with different pieces representing the parts of my life. Each piece is separate and distinct. Many think that as long as each piece has a good percentage of their time, then all is good.

 

To live with joy, peace, and purpose, we don’t necessarily need all of our pie pieces to be the correct size; we need to live with our faith at the center of all we do. Imagine a bike wheel, with God at the center and all the spokes that come out of the center representing what we do throughout our day. All that we do is attached to God. I love the song, “Do Everything,” by Steven Curtis Chapman, because it reminds me that everything I do should be about giving God glory.

 

Even the reason we take care of our bodies should be about giving God glory. Romans 6:13 tells us to “use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.” When God is at the center, exercising and eating healthy become a tool to give Him glory. I don’t know about you, but that motivates me a lot more than just trying to look good.

 

Now, hear me: I am not saying it’s wrong to have a healthy-looking body that others admire, but when people ask how you lost weight, you should give God the glory. “I’ve tried so many times in the past to make healthy changes, and failed, but this time it was different. I asked God to help me because I wanted my body to be healthy so that I would have the strength to do whatever God asked me to do. He gave me the motivation, and I know I couldn’t have done this without His help!!”

 

Wouldn’t that shock some people? Who knows - it might be just what they needed to hear to begin to allow God into their hearts.

 

One night, I was sound asleep, and I woke up with the words “Fully Integrated” loud and clear in my mind. I lay there, wanting to go back to sleep, but the closer I came to sleep, the louder the words became. God finally got my attention, and I knew I was not to forget these words and that there was a lesson for me in them. As I lay there asking God, “What’s up with ‘fully integrated?”, I remembered that I had gone to sleep that night with a bit of sadness because so many Christians seem to be missing out on joy and peace, and are instead filled with anxiety and worry. It became clear that God was telling me the solution to this problem. He wants us to live a life with our faith “fully integrated” in all we do.

 

I love how Henri Nouwen so perfectly explains this in his book, The Road to Daybreak:

 

“I am growing in the awareness that God wants my whole life, not just part of it. It is not enough to give just so much time and attention to God and keep the rest for myself. It is not enough to pray often and deeply, then move from there to my own projects.

 

As I try to understand why I am still so restless, anxious, and tense, it occurs to me that I have not yet given everything to God. I especially see this in my greed for time. I am very concerned about having enough hours to develop my ideas, finish my projects, and fulfill my desires. Thus, my life is in fact divided into two parts, a part for God in a part for myself. Thus divided, my life cannot be peaceful.

 

I realize that God's love is a jealous love. God wants not just part of me, but all of me. Only when I surrender myself completely to God's parental love can I expect to be free from endless distractions, ready to hear the voice of love, and able to recognize my own unique call.

 

It's going to be a very long road. Every time I pray I feel the struggle. It is the struggle of letting God be the God of my whole being. It is the struggle to trust that true freedom lies hidden in total surrender to God's love.”

 

Today, as I read this again, I have the same reaction - “Wow, this is it!!”

 

This is what I want people to get. This is what I know I need. This is what God meant when He put the words “Fully Integrated” into my head. This is what will allow people to experience positive, lasting change. This is what will move people from being frustrated believers to joyful followers. When you put Jesus at the center of all you do, you will not only experience joy and peace, but you will also GLOW. People will see something different in you and want what you have. Let the words from Proverbs 3 (message version) sink into your heart:

 

• Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
• Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
• Don’t assume that you know it all.
• Run to God! Run from evil.

 

"Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!" (Proverbs 3:5-8 Message)

 

If you want to GLOW with Health, it begins by living a fully integrated life. When we do this, we will glow, and that light will draw others in. When we allow God into every nook and cranny of our lives, we will be changed, we will be blesse,d and we will live in such a way that others will want what we have.

 

But, the question is, are you ready to go “All In?”

 

You might be saying, “I think I’m ready, but what does it really look like to live with Jesus at the center of all I do?”

 

When you wake up, before you roll out of bed, let God know you are ready to serve Him: “Here am I, send me.” Allow your hands to be His tools and your mouth to be His megaphone. You spend time alone with God and you ask Him to fill you up with His love so it oozes out on others throughout your day. You don’t let what people think of you hold you back. Your daily tasks become opportunities to serve Christ. A trip to the grocery store becomes an opportunity to share God’s love with the cashier. A high school football game is more about the conversation in the stands than the score. This way of living can make even the most mundane tasks meaningful.

 

I was talking about this with a friend of mine, and she told me how she loves to fold her laundry because she takes the opportunity to pray for whoever’s clothes she is folding. OK, I am not there yet - I’d be happy if I never folded another pair of socks! -but I love how she does this!!

 

I am one who is moved by music. Years ago, as I sat in church, I heard the story behind the lyrics of the song “Take My Life.” The story brought tears to my eyes. It was written in the 1800s by Frances Ridley Haverga. She moved into a house with 10 others, and she quickly realized that some of her temporary housemates didn’t believe in Jesus, and the others knew of Him but were far from joyful followers. During her 5-day visit, she was able to share her faith with all of them, and all 10 came to know and experience God’s love. She was so thankful for what God had done that she couldn’t sleep and wrote these lyrics during her last night there.

 

Take My Life

Take my life and let it be consecrated to Thee

 

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee

 

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my King Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold Take my intellect and use every power as You choose

 

Here am I, all of me, take my life, it's all for Thee

 

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne Take my love, my Lord I pour at Your feet, its treasure store Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee

 

Here am I, all of me, take my life, it's all for Thee

 

My hope is that we can learn to live like this. Imagine what would happen to our world if all Believers made the decision to live a life with our faith fully integrated into all we did.

   

Physical Health

 

Top 10 Healthy Changes:

 

ReThink Fitness: Lasting change begins inside our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 tells us that our hearts set the course of our lives. If you want to make lasting, healthy changes, you have to begin by changing the way you think (your heart). Our desire to change has to be motivated by our desire to steward our bodies. We know the importance of stewarding our time, talents, and treasure; but we often forget we are called to take care of our temples. Exercise and eating healthy shouldn’t be all about looking a certain way; it should be about getting your body fit and ready to respond to anything God calls you to do.

 

Eat Fresh: Fresh, whole foods are always better than packaged goods. Eat fresh organic fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, dairy, wild-caught fish, and grass-fed, hormone-free meat and chicken. God created you. God created food. Eat the foods God created in their most natural state.

 

Don’t Fall for Marketing Ploys: The main purpose of food packaging is to get you to buy the product. (I know, I worked for Nestle Foods in the 80s.) Labels like “Lite,” “All Natural,” “Low-fat,” and “Fewer Calories” are stamped all over the packages to make you believe you will get healthier if you eat the product. Don't fall for this. When looking at the package, the first and most important place to start is the ingredients list. Unhealthy ingredients can’t make a healthy product. If you don’t recognize what most of the ingredients are, don’t buy it. Only purchase packaged foods that have healthy ingredients. Better yet, eat fresh, whole foods.

 

Total Body Workouts: If you include Total Body Workouts in your weekly routine, you will greatly reduce your risk of injury. Total Body Workouts include cardio, strength, core, balance, and flexibility exercises. A safe, effective exercise routine should include all of these components.

 

Cut Out Added Sugar: The #1 reason that over 65% of Americans are overweight is because of added sugar. I’m not talking about the sugar that is found naturally in fruit, vegetables, and dairy; I’m talking about added sugar. Sugar turns into fat faster than anything else we eat. Sugar is in 80% of the packaged foods in the store. I know this is a tough one to give up. The reason so many struggle to give it up is that we are addicted. We truly crave it. BUT you can limit your added sugar to under 24 grams (4 grams = 1 tsp)

 

Consistency: Too often, we start out overzealous and decide to make huge changes overnight. We exercise for an hour 7 days a week and eliminate all sugar, carbs, and dairy. A few weeks into it, we begin to feel deprived and

depressed, so we throw in the towel and go back to our old ways. When we commit to exercising, we work out so intensely that we can’t move for days. We know we don’t want to be that sore ever again, so we quit working out. When designing an exercise and nutrition plan, make sure it is something you can see

yourself doing long-term. Start with attainable goals, and over time, continue to challenge yourself to make additional changes.

 

Drink Water: About 70% of our body is water, so when we are dehydrated, our body can’t function properly. We should drink approximately 50% of our body weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink around 90 oz. of water. If you exercise, you should add 12 oz for every 30 minutes of exercise.

 

Trust God: Stress is now called the “deadly emotion” because it is believed to be the underlying cause of many of our illnesses. It’s estimated that about 70% of all doctor visits could be prevented if we reduced our stress levels. We need to replace stress with peace if we want to reach optimal health. Proverbs 14:30: “A relaxed attitude lengthens life.” We can only experience peace in all situations when we trust God. When we fully understand that He is in control and that His ways are always better than ours, we can be at peace no matter what is going on around us.

 

Forgive: Our ability to forgive ourselves and others greatly affects our health. When we remove or reduce unforgiveness, we have healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety, stress, and hostility, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, and a lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse. Who do you need to forgive?

 

“You Need a Plan”. If you don’t want to give in to temptations, “You Need a Plan.” We recommend starting with a plan that involves the ABCs. ASK God to help you. BELIEVE He can help you. CHECK your motives and be sure yours line up with God’s. After the ABCs, put together a plan that incorporates the daily activities you know are needed to help you reach your goals. Where we go in life is determined by our daily choices.

   

Inspirational Story #6: Nancy

A few years ago, I was talking with a friend, and she suggested I check out Faithful Workouts. The invitation sparked my interest, and it came at just the right time in my life. I was on a path of self-destruction by working 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week in a very stressful job, not eating well, and not getting any exercise. This was my life with no room for anything else. My relationship with my husband and kids was suffering. I was in need of some changes in my life and my introduction to Faithful Workouts was exactly what I needed. (It is funny how God orchestrates exactly what you need at just the right time.)

 

My perspective on exercise changed that day.

 

Wow, what a concept, God + Exercise = True, Everlasting Health! No gimmicks!

 

Ever since my introduction to Faithful Workouts, I have discovered the truth about WHY I want to take care of myself, which I believe is the key to REAL change. I realized after a short time that there was something very different about the approach Faithful Workouts took to fitness. It wasn’t a new fad diet or weight loss program but a platform of encouragement to get to know God and WHY HE created me, and what HIS plans are for my life. It was no longer about my agenda of wanting to stay looking fit and trim for my own visual satisfaction.

 

It really wasn’t until I surrendered all areas of my life, which included my health and fitness regime, did I learn God wants ALL of me and wants to be fully integrated into every aspect of my life. I looked at my relationship with God and turned my focus on Him. Once I surrendered my thoughts to HIM, the heavy burden of “I have to go exercise, diet, look good” became “I am so thankful I am healthy enough to exercise and have healthy food choices”. Turning my focus on God gave me hope and the very personalized fitness program HE has planned for me. Today, HE is my personal trainer along with the helpful tools Faithful Workouts provides. I listen to Him and the truth He speaks in his written word, not the lies that this world would have me believe. His word provides the most powerful, transformational health manual ever published.

~Nancy