My latest Runner's World magazine had an interesting article titled
"Running on Empty." It talks about cutting food to gain speed and how
easy it is to cross the line from eating smart to barely eating. You can read about how weight affects running performance on my other blog, McMarathon Moments, but I started thinking about how this applies to us spiritually. I'm not saying I'm 100% right on this, but here are my thoughts:
Overweight
I really struggled with this one. Can we be overweight spiritually? I don't think we can be too full of God's Spirit, but what about the Pharisees? They fasted often, followed every line of the Law, but were also extremely critical of everyone who didn't measure up in their eyes. A great example of this is found in Luke 18:10-14.
Slightly Overweight
Perhaps this is a person carrying the extra weight of works ~ at risk of doing too many works and not taking the time to get their spirit filled up. Not quite a Pharisee, but in danger of going that way. This might happen when a person is busy in the kingdom and they start looking around at people who don't seem to be doing as much.
Average Weight
This is the best place to be. Your prayer life is consistent, you spend time in the Word because you want to, you enjoy worshiping freely and you experience joy even in the hardest of times. You love God and your fellow man. You enjoy giving of your time and talents.
Slightly Underweight
You suffer from being undernourished. Your prayer and Bible reading time is limited to church services. There are still times of joy, but not as frequent. You start looking at the world and wanting a taste.
Underweight
How do you become undernourished? Just stop going to church for a while. Find other things to do with your time. Fill your mind and spirit with "junk food." You will suffer as your spirit tries to break through every time you do attend service.
Drastically Underweight
Talking about running, the article said "If you've basically stopped eating, you tax your heart so much that you're at risk for a heart attack or stroke." For the spiritual man, if you've basically stopped eating spiritual food, you will tax your spirit so much that you're at risk of being lost.
Just as there are many charts that suggest a healthy weight, I'm sure there are many ways to find a healthy spiritual weight as well. The most important question we have to ask ourselves: "Is there anything in my life today that would keep me from heaven?"
4 comments:
Sis Connell ~ Your original comment was left on a different post, but I wanted to put it here because I appreciate the verses you included. Thank you so much for your kind words! I don't want to be weighed in the balance and found wanting (Daniel 5:27)
Hi Sis. Mc! I love the analogies you made here. As I was reading, this verse came to my mind.
Proverbs 16:11 A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work.
I couldn't remember exactly where this verse was, but as I was looking for it, I found this verse also.
Deuteronomy 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Spiritually speaking, I want to have just the right weight in the Lord's eyes. I'd like to be the right weight physically too. Both of them take work and constant maintenance, but we will feel so much better when we are where we need to be. Thanks for this post.
Love,
Sis. C.
Awesome post Sis. McElhaney. I hope you don't mind but I shared it with friends and family, both saved and unsaved. I even shared it with Bro. Booker in hopes that he will take the thought and MAKE IT PREACH! :-) I told him, "When you preach it, I will be saying "Amen, Pastor, Amen. Preach to me.""
I have to make heaven and be found average! Thank you for sharing a wonderfully encouraging and thought provoking post.
Sis. Jana,
Feel free to share my posts anytime. Please send an evangelist offering if Bro. Booker preaches my message! LOL! I'm sure he can turn my little thoughts into a masterpiece if he wants.
I really love this, Kathy. It's excellent!
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