Reshaping It All: Chapter 5

Hi Friends! Ashleigh here.

It’s time to discuss chapter 5 from Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness. We’re still talking about the previous chapters — so keep those comments coming.

In chapter 5, Candace talks about temptation and practical ways we can fight it. She addresses the importance of:

• Renewing our minds
• Being a leader when it comes to our bodies
• Seeking out accountability

I needed to read this chapter this week. My resolve has been faltering. It’s Thursday and so far the plan I talked about in chapter 4’s vlog isn’t going so well. I have exercised, but I haven’t followed my Weight Watcher’s points faithfully. I even ate a donut this week. Some of my struggle is emotional — this week marks a few painful anniversaries for us — which confirms to me I still need to work on more than just my outward behavior toward food. My deeper issues in this area aren’t gone simply because I chatted about them a few chapters ago and resolved to change. I need to, as Joe Thorn talks about in his book, Note to Self, continually kill my sin:

Your sin will not just go away. You are called to aggressively seek sin’s destruction — to kill it. But even when you understand this, it is more complicated than plotting its murder, for the act of killing sin is a slow, continuous process that runs the span of your life. And if you are not putting sin to death, than you will find that it is seeking your destruction. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

Killing sin isn’t merely the cutting of branches but a striking at the root. This means you need to do more than recognize your sin of impatience; you must seek to know how this branch of sin is connected to the root of pride. From there you can get to work. But the work of killing sin is not moral improvement or personal reformation. It is the Holy Spirit empowered spiritual war against all forms of corruption that would lead you away from the gospel. Sin and temptation lead you away from the gospel by telling you that you can find greater fulfillment and satisfaction in something other than Jesus.”

And that’s exactly what my emotional eating is at its root: believing I can find more comfort in food than the Lord. This week, Darlene offers encouragement when it comes to failure in our attempts to change.

As your reshaping it all, you’re bound to stumble and fall every now and then, and if you’re human *wink* you might find yourself dealing with stress.

Obstacles are something we all come up against. In fact stumbling is a natural part of any change plan. But the way to land on your feet after a fall is to ignore the negative messages and keep your thoughts on the goal ahead.

Don’t focus on what happened yesterday — focus on what you can change today. At this very moment, you are no more a failure than anyone else. You still have the ability to choose well today, and if you apply yourself — you will!

Enjoy the journey, and until next time, live well!!

Blessings,
Darlene Schacht
www.timewarpwife.com

What about you? How is your journey going? Here are a few questions to start this chapter’s discussion:

1. What are ways you can start monitoring yourself? Brainstorm and share them with us.
2. Have you had any setbacks this week? If so, how do you plan to get back on course?
3. Do you have an accountability partner? If so, how do they help you?