Not My Own

Do you ever just wonder how God can be so patient with you?  God is patience...I am a work in progress for patience.  It never ceases to amaze me how the God of the universe is willing to wait for me to realize the truths concerning this life that He has given me.  God is developing me.  God is refining me.  God is continually stretching me and growing me.  Through this process, He is patient with me.  To grasp that is overwhelming.  I was focusing on this very thing this morning.  He is not being developed for He is complete as He is.  He is not needing to be refined for He is the refiner.  He doesn't need to grow in knowledge and truth because He is knowledge and truth.  I cannot even begin to fathom all of that but I can rest in the truth of all that.

What does all this mean to me?  It means that my wretched undeserving self no longer needs to feel hopeless because God is my hope.  I had taken so many steps backwards the past few months with all the physical struggles.  I had given up on ever being able to get back on track losing weight, therefore not glorifying God in my body.  But I took the first step forward 4 weeks ago.  It took a lot of convincing to do that.  I battled in my mind and in my heart.  I was not at peace.  Over and over the Holy Spirit would nudge me, reminding me that God was patiently waiting for me to turn to Him.  It was hard at first and I believe that God doesn't allow it to be easy because He wants us to know that it is He who grants success.  

Friday's are my weigh in day.  Today the scale showed progress.  I lost 5 lbs. this past week with a total of 13 lbs. lost over the past 4 weeks.  I couldn't help but breath out "thank you God" when I saw that number.  Progress breeds progress.  When I see progress I want to continue to be obedient.  It gives me hope.  I am thankful that God shows us in tangible ways that there is hope.  I was worried that because I couldn't exercise at this point that it would take forever to lose anything.  I was wrong.  Obedience and discipline work hand in hand for success.

I can't help but continue to claim the verse 1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."  Being mindful of this means that I am careful to only eat what I need to fulfill honoring God in my body.  I am indeed not my own, I am bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)