Weighty Issues

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?"

Girl Power

Pastor White preached a message entitled "Girl Power" on Sunday night. His text was 1 Corinthians chapter 11. My first thought was "the hair chapter." But his key verse was verse 10 "For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels."

The definition of the word power in that verse is privilege or delegated influence.

Pastor White had a bag full of magazines Sunday night. Each had a woman on the cover. A woman that was delegated to influence the magazines' readers. You know the ones I'm talking about ~ they're at every grocery store check stand. Women, who are deemed attractive by this world's standards, on the cover trying to influence other women and young girls.

As women, we have power. We have untold influence. The choice we must make is will our influence be godly or will it be ungodly. Will we lead others to God through our influence, or cause them to stumble. Girl Power or Godly Girl Power?

I couldn't help but think of the godly women in my life who have influenced me. Mom is at the top of that list. I think of women who were faithful. My Sunday school teachers. Ladies who I heard praying in the prayer room and watched making peanut brittle with a smile. They weren't afraid to worship. They were my youth camp counselors. Way too many to name, but powerful influences in my life. Beautiful, everyone of them.

At the end of the service, Pastor White had all the mothers come to the front with their daughters. The responsibility of influencing the next generation is great. I don't have daughters of my own, but I have nieces and young friends that I want to see develop into godly women.

I know I've already posted this picture, but here is what Godly Girl Power looks like:

2011 - The Year of Obsession

More than a month ago I received this Quote of the Day in my email from Runner's World:

The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.

I love the second part - "potential for more and more life" because Jesus said "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly," but hesitated to post it because of the use of the word "obsession." Obsession has such a negative connotation. I thought I'd look it up in Webster's online dictionary, here is what I found:

a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling

Examples include:

1. He was fascinated by the actress and tracking her every move had become an obsession.
2. She has an obsession about cleanliness.
3. Her concern about cleanliness approaches the level of obsession.
4. Money has become an obsession for him.

But tucked in, after all the negative tones, was this:

compelling motivation

Aha! That's what I'm talking about! So let's take those same examples above and make a few changes:

1. He was fascinated by the Bible and reading it daily had become a compelling motivation.
2. She has a compelling motivation about godliness.
3. Her concern about winning the lost approaches the level of compelling motivation.
4. Worship and praise has become a compelling motivation for him.

As we enter 2011, we can choose what we are obsessed with. I know there are many who think going to church more than once a week is obsessive! That's okay! I want to get up every morning with a compelling motivation to live my life to it fullest potential for Him! I want to attend every pre-service prayer meeting with the compelling motivation to make a difference. I want my worship to be obsessive! Will you join me in making 2011 The Year of Obsession?

Thanks to my friend, Jen Lord, for pointing to me to "Magnificent Obsession" by Steven Curtis Chapman:

Lord, You know how much
I want to know so much
In the way of answers and explanations
I have cried and prayed
And still I seem to stay
In the middle of life’s complications
All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I’m chasing down the wind
But now it’s brought me back to You
And I can see again

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession

So capture my heart again
Take me to depths I’ve never been
Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
Return me to the cross
And let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love
That You’ve shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things
Let all my dreams fall to the ground
Until this one remains

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession

You are everything I want
And You are everything I need
Lord, You are all my heart desires
You are everything to me

You are everything I want
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You
I want it all to be for You

Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession