A Transformation - "Weight" Loss.

   
     Yesterday I was having lunch with one of my very best friends.  We were talking about weight loss.  He and I have both lost weight in the last several months.  He shared with me a funny story about an incident where he realized he'd lost enough weight that it effected how his clothing stayed or didn't stay on his body while he was running and playing around with friends.  Apparently they all had a good laugh.  Then we talked about different things people had said when they had noticed we had each lost weight and were surprised at the change.  He simply commented what I already knew, and that it was a change in diet.  Eating differently.  What you put in your body makes all the difference in the world.
    This morning the Lord reminded me of my friends funny story but then took it one step further.  What ever we set our thinking on is going to have an effect on what stays with us and what gets sown into our hearts.
We've all been through some junk in our lives, more than we may even want to admit to.  I had an alcoholic father, that has left some residue in my life.  I also have lost quite a bit in my life in various ways through divorce and also being widowed  that has left its own residue.  Through much of that pain in my life I think for some time I believed that I was not worthy of anything or anyone.  I believed that I was damaged goods, and that nobody would want me and that I was never good enough.  This started at an early age.    I became fearful in many areas of my life.  I ingested those thoughts every day and those lies got down into my soul.  Those thoughts became part of what I carried around with me because I believed them.  I worked hard to try to rid myself of them by "over achieving", by "people pleasing" but I had allow those thoughts, and the way I saw myself or thought of myself to adhere themselves to my life.
It was not until I began to ingest the Word of God regularly and truly allow it to manifest into my heart and soul did I begin to see myself differently.  To see myself the way that God sees me.

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Physical weight loss is a transformation over time by changing diet and increasing physical activity.  Changing our "stinkin thinkin" is the same.  We will never be transformed in our minds and ultimately our hearts of what we believe in ourselves if we are unaware of what God says about us.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Just like it takes time to lose the weight, it also takes time to renew our minds into understanding that God did not create junk when He created us.  You want the stinky thoughts to fall off you like shorts that no longer fit properly?  Then you need to change what you are feeding your mind.  

Below is a great start and foundation of renewing your mind:

• I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
• The Son has set me free. I am free indeed! (John 8:36)
• My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
• He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)
• There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
• Nothing can ever separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:38-39)
• In all things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
• God is faithful. He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
• My light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
• He is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me. (Ephesians 3:20)
• God is for me! Who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)

God does not make junk!

You are valuable, you are prescious and made with a purpose.

  Begin to lose all the things that you have ingested from this world 

and the circumstances that you have walk through and instead 

digest what the Creator intended.  If you can recognize how 

valuable you are in His eyes, you will begin to be transformed from

 the inside out.  Here is what God says about just how valuable you

 are:

I am the Creator and you are my creation. I breathed into your nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). I created you in my own image (Genesis 1:27). My eyes saw your unformed substance (Psalm 139:16). I knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). I know the number of hairs on your head, and before a word is on your tongue I know it (Matthew 10:30; Psalm 139:4). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

You are more valuable than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31). I have given you dominion over all sheep and oxen and all beasts of the field and birds of the heavens and fish of the sea (Psalm 8:6–8; Genesis 1:26, 28). I have crowned you with glory and honor as the pinnacle and final act of the six days of creation (Psalm 8:5; Genesis 1:26).

However, from the very beginning, you exchanged the truth about me for a lie. You worshiped and served created things rather than me, the Creator (Romans 1:25). You have sinned and fallen short of my glory (Romans 3:23). Just as I said to Adam and Eve, the penalty for your sin is death (Romans 6:23;Genesis 2:17). And in your sin, you were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). You were children of wrath, living as enemies to me (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:10). You turned aside from me. You became corrupt. There is none who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:2–3). What you deserve is my righteous judgment (Psalm 7:11–12).

And yet, in my great love, I gave my unique Son, that all those who believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). While you were still sinners, Christ died for you. While you were still hostile toward me, you were reconciled to me by the death of my Son (Romans 5:8, 10). Sin doesn’t have the last word. Grace does (Romans 5:20).

Now everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved (Romans 10:13). You who have believed are born again (1 Peter 1:3). I have adopted you (Ephesians 1:5). You are children of God, heirs of God (1 John 3:2;Romans 8:16–17). You are no longer orphans. You belong to me (John 14:18;1 Corinthians 6:19). And I love you as a perfect Father (1 John 3:1;Luke 15:20–24).

     My passion is that you know that He's an amazing God who loves you and He wants you to love yourself and see yourself the way that He does.  It starts by getting rid of the old and ingesting the new.  Renew your mind daily with His Word.  I don't care where you have walked, its time to leave the past behind and move into all that God has for you, but it has to start with you.  Often I think we get used to carrying around the weight and heaviness of what we have believed about ourselves for so long that we don't even begin to realize the damage that we have allowed it to cause.  We've become so used to feeling a certain way about ourselves that we cant imagine things being different or anyone seeing us differently. We have become accustomed to behaving a certain way because we have done it for so long.  When we keep unhealthy physical weight on us for too long, it effects our over all health beyond just the strain of our bones and muscles. It can result in High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc... 
Believing lies about ourselves that the enemy places there, does the same thing.  It slowly destroys your self esteem, self confidence, makes us needy and insecure.   God, however, intends for us to walk in Freedom.  People are always going to have something to say to you or about you, and can surely be hurtful.  What are you ingesting and allowing in your diet?  Start a new lifestyle today by only taking in and digesting what Gods Word says about you, spitting anything else out, and let the transformation begin.   God bless you.