I Did It For Myself!

myself

Can somebody help me lose weight?

 

Someone recently asked me how much weight I had lost.

“A little over 400 pounds” I answered. Shock turned into ‘oh, I get it’ as I explained that over the last few decades I had lost the same 10 to 15 pounds many, many times. Joanie has been my ally, my confidant, my instigator, my enthusiasm and at times, I’m embarrassed to say, my conscience.

Pleasing her has been a goal. It’s a good goal. I want her to see me at a healthy weight. I want her to be proud of the man she married who looks remarkably different than the man she married!

But doing it just for her hasn’t worked. I’ve decided to do it for myself. As I find myself moving inexorably into the first third of my seventh decade there are choices that must be made. I don’t want to be that man who barely makes it from the car as he shuffles into the Home Town Buffet! I want to walk briskly and upright through those doors. (Actually, that probably isn’t that great of a word picture or a goal …)

I’ve decided that I want to go easy on my knees, my heart and my blood pressure. So I’m eating differently and doing it for me! And I feel good about it. I’ll get what I want and Joanie will get a husband who looks more like the original!

Now a word to the men reading this blog.

I have known guys who let their wives do the heavy lifting of all things spiritual. Oh, they may love Jesus, but went to church out of deference to their mates … not because it was that important to them. They didn’t fight the spiritual battles for their families and attempt to establish any kind of a moral high ground in the lives of their children. If anybody prayed, it would be the Mrs.

Can I give you a ‘heads up?’ You’ll never develop spiritual muscle, committed character or powerful integrity just hanging on to your wives apron! God is calling you to lead, to challenge the carnage of the cultural norms that are surrounding your family. You can’t lead from behind anyone! You can’t take your family where you haven’t been already.

This week … it may seem honoring to eat to please someone else. And it may seem easy to follow in a spouses spiritual footprint. But until we want something bad enough to do it for ourselves, we’ll never get there!

 

“But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 Living Bible

 

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