This morning during my scripture meditation, a weird thought occurred to me regarding how to lose body fat. This is the scripture on which I meditated:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).”
While I usually focus on the first part (to reverence, honor, and respect God), this time the second part stood out. Then a new thought came:
What if we could see excess body fat as our body’s attempt to give us wisdom and instruction? Now, please stay with me!
I spent so many years despising my excess body fat. To me, she was like an unwanted house guest, one who had long overstayed her welcome.
But suppose you see excess body fat as wisdom and instruction to use, not something to hate? This powerful feedback usually means that something is out of balance in your body.
Your current body is mostly a snapshot of the hundreds of small health choices you made daily in the past. Depending on the severity of the excess fat, that typically means you made a few errors in judgment or many! These errors have compounded over time to yield the excess fat you see today. This is useful information.
I am going to ask you to do something radical. If you have been despising your excess body fat, then stop right now and really look at it in the mirror. No more hiding. Touch it. Consider it well.
Then, I recommend that you embrace the wisdom and instruction that your body has been trying to give you. Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over, but expecting a different result.
Wisdom says that if you want something different, you must do something different.
Here is a sample prayer for that:
“Lord, I praise you for my body! You designed my body to make fat out of the food I eat as an energy source. My body is telling me now that I ate more than I needed in the past or ate too many foods that weren’t good for me. So my body stored the excess. My body is working according to Your wise design. Thank you!
But now, I am ready to heed the wisdom and instruction my body is giving me. Oh Lord, help me not to despise its wisdom and instruction! Help me to stop ignoring what my body is trying to teach me.
Your word says in Proverbs 23:24, “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.” I want to do what is right according to Your word. Your word says that all I need to do is ask You for wisdom and You will give it to me. So show me Lord the errors in judgment I have been making each day that are hurting my health. Give me the strength to make wiser choices that cause You to rejoice and my body to heal itself.
I think carefully about each daily choice that will impact my health. I want to walk wisely. Help me to make fruits and vegetables the cornerstone of my diet to heal, energize, and nourish my body. Because my body is over 60% water, I must drink the proper amounts so that my fat burning process will work properly. I need your help to minimize my exposure to food that would harm my body also. Show me how to redeem the time by investing some of that time into useful exercise.
Thank you God, that you care for all my needs both big and small. Thank you God for being near to me and that I may call upon you for any reason.”
With this attitude of thankfulness, take a moment to write down any wisdom the Lord gives you regarding what you need to do to change your body for the better. Start with the smallest change and as you gain consistency in doing that, you will have confidence to do more. Act on that wisdom now, while the motivation (reason to move) is strong.
Consider this timeless wisdom from the book of Proverbs:
“I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
So shall your poverty come like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 24:30-34).”
As you act on Godly wisdom daily, even in small steps to weight loss, time will start working for you rather than against you. And you will truly see how God works all things together for your good, including this situation!
Kimberly Taylor
takebackyourtemple.com
Just WOW! What a fascinating and insightful way to view our excess fat. I love the re-direct on our thinking, thank you!
Yes, Georgia – we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so the wisest thing to do is work in harmony with our bodies rather than against them. God is good!
Thank you so much Kim, for years I have been not liking my weight and really didn’t want to look at it but I’m beginning to notice more and more how much I need the wisdom of God as always to bring me through….He did it before, I know He’ll do it again,.
Amen, Roberta – we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are walking miracles!
What a great insight – that my body is working just as God designed it by storing excess calories as fat. And like many things that God intended for good and I misuse or place in a higher place than God, I feel or see the consequences of not eating and moving in healthy ways in this fat. I think of Romans 8:28 – that God uses even this to work for good – drawing me back to Him as I move forward with a healthier lifestyle. My transformation will only come through Him! Thank you.
Exactly Judy! The wisest thing to do is work WITH the way the Lord designed our bodies. In that way, we can experience the blessings of good health in even greater measure. Stay blessed!
I’m so insecure with my body because I’m too fat and I really wanted to lose weight until I saw this article, this is very helpful especially I’m planning to start to lose weight. Thanks a lot!
You are welcome, Francis – may you prosper in your endeavor to treat your body as God’s temple.
Wow, once again you have made me think outside the box. Hmmm let me rephrase. WHAT BOX??
We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies are not the enemy. They are the instrument of praise and worship and love and everything that God would call us to do. As I age, 56, I am concerned that I will not be physically able to do all the things that are set before me. By understanding and treating my physical self with care and respect I know that I will be ready for what come to me on a daily basis. Blessings Lisa
Very timely encouragement for me. Thank you 😀
thank you for inspiring words and new thought, as i have been despising belly fat. I eat healthy mostly and even have a support telephone group which encourages me as I encourage others. Fat is trespassing and must go. Thanks for prayer and insight for a new way of receiving God’s wisdom. God bless you. I would like to share this with our group.
Really need that….thanks for sharing
awesome
Thank you for this truth. My mindset has been to beat myself up over my body
fat. This is helping to transform my mindset. God bless.
This makes total sense!! My body talks to me everyday telling how certain foods make me feel! I learned that I was allergic to sugar by the painful effects it had on my body. Now by limiting the in take of it I see weight coming off and no more painful effects!
Thank you for confirmation!
This is very radical. Thanks for helping me think outside of the box . . . or should I say, the fat!
Blessings, Amy
Thanks for the powerful words of encouragement . I’m finally ready to face my body fat head on. God did indeed create my body and she sure is talking back. Excited to face this new season in my life; for who the Son sets free is free indeed. Thanks so much 🙂
Wow! Good stuff!! I need to meditate on this more. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
No, she has to go!
Thank you for such a “on point” prayer concerning our fearfully and wonderfully made temples! Embracing the wisdom of the Word is God is wise! Praise God for the Holy Spirit who empowers us to be hearers and doers of the WORD!