Boundaries not diets

"The problem isn't usually with diets themselves, but with the rigid, perfectionist ways we use them."

Today the book talked about how we should look at dieting and a healthy lifestyle not as a rigid, unbendable system, but as a flexible system with boundaries. I like the analogy that she used with the road. There are definite boundaries on a road or path, and you can set them wider or narrower depending on your situation. "But even on a really bad day, you never eliminate the road or get off of it completely." And this is a problem that I've had in the past. If I make ONE mistake, then I abandon the whole thing for the day. And then when I want to start the next day, I say "oh, I didn't do it yesterday..." and so on. When you're traveling on a road, sometimes you veer a little. Usually you hid the bumps in the middle or the road, or something gives you a warning that you are veering. The point is not to freak out and stop OR just continue on your collision course. It's to get back on the road.

Narrow Road:
Exercise every day for 30 minutes. Build up to 60 minutes a day.
Only eat on serving of sugary sweet cookies.
Eat at home 6/7 days of the week for dinner. And pack my lunch 4/5 days.
Drink 120 oz of water every day.

Wider Road:
Exercise every day for 30 minutes.
Eat as many servings as you like of sugary food, as long as it's within your plan of carbs and fat and calories.
Eat at home 4/7 days of the week, but be vigilant about eating healthy choices. Pack my lunch 3/5 days, but be vigilant about eating healthy choices.
Drink 81 oz of water every day.

"You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us." 1 John 4:4-6a

I love how it says that we are from God and have overcome them (meaning the world). It makes me feel victorious, and powerful, and that nothing could hold me back. It intrigued me when it says whoever knows God listens to us. It doesn't make the distinction that everyone in the world does not listen to us. It says they definitely listen to everything that the world says. But I think it's implying that there are some from the world who know God, and if we speak, they will listen. And they are taking things in, even if we don't know it. I really like that because it takes the pressure off of us to be anything other than who we are in God, and it puts the spotlight on that other person and their response to God.

The next part is all about love and how God is love. I would quote this whole section, but it's long, so I'm going to just quote key phrases that stick out to me:

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."vs. 10-12

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." vs.18

"Whoever loves God must also love his brother." vs.21

I love the distinction that WE did not love God first. Richard talked about in his sermon last week that it's not any work that we did. He said that we don't serve God for acceptance, we serve God because he accepted us. It's this whole idea that God pursued and loved us first, which is why we don't have to be afraid. His love was great for us even when we did not know him. He's seen all the junk and despair, and he loved us anyway. That is powerful and convicting. Because it says "since God so loved us, we ought to love one another." That same love that God has for us is the kind of love we are supposed to have for each other. We are supposed to love each other despite the junk and despair. Despite the wrong decisions and the hurtful things that are said. If we love people first, and in the way that God does, they will know him. Because he is love. That is powerful. They will know us by our LOVE. And they love is God. It shows that he is in us. That his love is made complete in us.

I simultaneously love and am convicted by that statement. If I love God, I have to love people. And how do I love people, I get closer to God. I try to get to know him. I let him rub off on me. Because God knows that that love is not naturally in me. I had to include "there's no fear in love." Because, well, that is a statement of my life. I've lived in fear of so many things, and God is faithfully bringing me out and away from that fear and showing me what LOVE, who LOVE is. It's beautifully breathtaking and wonderful. Ah, his word is good :)