Week two devotional

Lie #2: i can’t do this.

This is a tough lie to address because it is true, in a sense. You can’t do this on your own. You can only do things that require strength through Christ. The good news is that God gives us strength to do all things that are good, and y’all working out and taking care of yourself is a good thing. It is not a bad thing to have healthy goals for yourself. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Look to Him for strength in ALL of your circumstances, even the small, seemingly mundane tasks of your day. You can choose to look to Him for the strength to get up, get out of bed and get to the gym to take care of your body. You can look to him for strength to squeeze in just one more rep. My guess is that there are probably parts of your day that you don’t enjoy now, where you turn to him for strength.

Maybe you’re unhappy or frustrated at work, or maybe you’re at odds with someone you care about. We have no problem inviting him into these situations and asking him to give us strength, patience and perseverance. Why can’t we do the same thing for ourselves when it comes to our health and fitness journey? We invite him into our darkest struggles, but have you ever stopped and prayed and asked him to give you the strength to overcome your insecurities? Or asked him to help you to feel motivated to take better care of yourself? Or asked him to help you to free you from turning to food as a source of comfort and help you to look to him instead?

These are things we tend to avoid praying about. Maybe because they seem too small or maybe because they feel superficial, but I’m telling you- no prayer is too small for God. He wants to be a part of every part of you and your day. I’m not saying that you should ask the Lord to give you washboard abs. I am saying that you should turn to him and ask him to heal you from your insecurities; ask him to shift your perspective so that you would pursue living a healthy life for the right reasons; ask him for strength to get up and invest time in your body, even when you feel like you don’t have the strength to do it. Ask him to heal you from your unhealthy relationship with food.

“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

You and I have access to the Holy Spirit. Turn your eyes upward when you feel like you can’t do this, and be reminded of the power you have at work in you already. Carry that verse with you this week, and let him be your strength. Take comfort in the truth that He has enough strength for you. Lean on him when you feel like you can’t do this.

Last week I asked you what you wanted to find freedom from. What thought cycles are you ready to break. I hope you spent some time reflecting on that. You know what that thing is. Now I want you to answer this. Where those feelings are stemming from? What’s the source? Is it fear? Pride? Low self-esteem is not the answer we’re looking for here. We’re looking for the source of the feelings. That “I can’t do this mentality” is bound to creep up on you throughout this program. Identifying the source of that thought cycle and those feelings you’ve been wrestling with is the first step to taking ownership over them and ultimately, finding that freedom. Spend some time reflecting on that this week, and dig into scripture. Don’t believe the lie that the enemy is feeding you. You can do this. You can do all this through Him who gives you strength.

Week two, let’s get started!!