It's 2022 and weight loss is on the agenda for many people as the calendar has turned to a brand-new year. This is the time of resolutions, new mindsets, better habits and fresh starts. I have been on my own weight loss journey this past year and I am closing in on the fifty-pound mark. Nothing about the process is easy. In fact, it can be downright painful and frustrating because results take time and there is sacrifice involved. There is no instant fix; the process requires consistency and dedication. The added weight has exacerbated my herniated discs and when the searing sciatic pain radiates down to my foot, I concede that a better quality of life is a fair exchange for any temporary inconvenience. Extra pounds add pressure to our bodies and extra burdens add pressure to our souls. I still remember the old song, "Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary," and it reminds me that we serve a faithful God who is willing and able to share life with us. When we feel tired, weak and sluggish, He is strong.
I don't pretend to know much about combat sports, but weight cutting is popular in boxing. Fighters manipulate their weight by dehydrating in order to qualify to fight in a different weight class. (As the preachers say, "Follow me because I'm going somewhere.") We are in a different kind of storm and the territory requires shedding the non-essential. Resistance creates drag. Whether on the seas or in the air, weight restrictions do save lives. Planes have cargo limits that make take-off safer and easier. Swimmers shave body hair or select the sleekest swimsuit and streamline their movements to reduce friction because they know that every fraction of a second matters in a close competition. The only way to lighten the load and succeed in life is to abandon the patterns of failure that hold us back. I have often marveled at the graceful beauty of racing horses, yet they are so easily distracted that they are fitted with blinders to keep their eyes trained on the prize. Tunnel vision wins races!
Shedding is a natural phenomenon in the animal kingdom. Eagles, specifically, undergo molting later in life because their wings become heavy with dirt and oil, and this impacts their efficiency in flight. Birds molt in utter seclusion, relying on others for food, because this is a period of intense vulnerability. Many insects, snakes and mammals experience various degrees of molting, and this undertaking can be stressful, yet purposeful. This essential process stimulates growth, eliminates parasites and prepares them to navigate changing environments with renewed strength. In all cases, the molting process affords the advantage of clarity, speed and agility. A second chance. Rebirth. The vibrant autumn colors that we admire so much are only possible because of the shedding process that removes dull, lifeless leaves. Dormancy always gives rise to destiny. Transformation takes us outside of our comfort zone, yet God has already provided the compass for uncharted territory.
The minimalist lifestyle is gaining traction and it is not easy for this sentimental pack rat to relate. Minimalism involves stripping away anything that weighs you down or won't be useful in the next season of your life. Adopting new priorities eliminates unfruitful activities and habits that steal momentum from your life. Unforgiveness attracts emotional clutter just as over commitment leads to burnout. Consider any toxic people that drain you or inflict wounds that slow your reflexes. Good boundaries always lead to better outcomes. Let's lay aside the extra weight in our lives and prepare to fly. Jesus has partnered with us, and He wins every time. But we must choose to unburden ourselves and relinquish our worries and distractions. For 2022, be the best version of you by asking, "Do I use it? Do I love it? Do I need it?" This fond memory of a New Life Assembly of God watchnight service contains my resolution. As the Caribbean drumbeat crescendoed, we shouted these lyrics:
I'm trading my sorrows
I’m trading my shame
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I’m trading my sickness
I’m trading my pain
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord
*January Challenge
Check your baggage at the cross.
Surrender to the shedding and emerge with new vitality.
Live lighter. On purpose.
HEBREWS 12:1 (THE VOICE)
So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us.
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