The other day, the trainer on my workout video said something that I immediately texted to myself:
You can’t hope yourself to better health!
Hope won’t improve health. Habits will!
She was referring to physical health, but the principle can be applied to ALL forms of health: relational, emotional, financial, spiritual. If I hope to see a change, I have to do the work! Hope & habits go hand in hand!
Today I read Moses’s words, “Then AT LAST the Lord said to me…” The caps are mine, but even in that half sentence can’t you hear his hope for change?
After many years of woeful wandering, the Lord says, “You have been wandering around this hill long enough; turn to the north.”
As soon as I read that, the quote from my workout gal surfaced! I invite you to consider this your signpost moment to stop wandering & ask God what’s your due north?
Isn’t that good? I’m weepy as I type because it’s SO easy to get caught in a cycle of complacency, hoping for change only to have those hopes dashed as my health suffers, my marriage wains & my emotions rule the roost of my life!
We need ask the Lord to help define our hope & determine what habits will help us move in that direction!
Habits are not about denial, but about discipline. The no’s of today support the yeses of yesterday! Discipline isn’t about pulling up the bootstraps & determining to do something on our own accord. That’s why we have the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, to guide us!
Self control is a fruit OF the Spirit. No striving needed - in fact, if you ARE striving, knock it off as it only leads to pride! (Speaking from experience😳)
Holy Spirit, we call on you to reveal areas where we’ve been wandering!
Show us YOUR due north for a healthy life. Give us a hope for health hat aligns with Yours!
👉🏽Physical (eating food like its medicine, drinking water, getting rest, working out)
👉🏽Relational (forgiving first, loving long, anger-ing short😉, responding instead of reacting)
👉🏽Emotional (taking negative thoughts captive, choosing praise over complaint, speaking words of life & removing never & always)
👉🏽Spiritual (Seek Him first in everything, making the Word, prayer & time w His people a priority)
👉🏽Financial (Lord, what’s YOUR budget for the finances YOU provide for our family? Where can I become a better steward?)
We place our hope in You & are willing to do the hard work of creating habits that lead us in Your will & way!
DEUTERONOMY 2:1-3:29
LUKE 6:12-38
PSALM 67:1-7
PROVERBS 11:27
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