“Do you really want to start this over or just continue what you’ve already started?”
My mind flashed back to 15 years ago. Back then, I weighed over 200 pounds and could barely walk to the mailbox. I remember having shortness of breath and feeling as if my muscles were filled with concrete. I remember the effort it took to get to this point. I feel good, healthy and strong today because of all the workouts I did from that point until now. Because I continued. So it was no contest. I did my workout. Haven’t you found that it’s easier to continue something rather than have to start all over again? The biggest energy you expend is moving from doing nothing to doing something. Even if you can only do a little bit, be faithful to do your bit. Eventually, you will get stronger and can do more. Even if you stumble in your efforts, don't quit. Proverbs 24:16 says,For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again…”An old Japanese definition of success complements this scripture:
Fall down 7 times, get up 8″
As long as you get up 1 more time than you fall down, you are successful. That is the essence of the continue mindset.
Here are some tips to follow if you even think about quitting:
- Check your thoughts
If you are feeling discouraged and want to quit, check out your thoughts. You are probably mentally telling yourself that it is too hard, what you are doing is not working, or else it won’t make any difference.
With negative thinking, you always want to ask yourself another good question:
“Where are these thoughts leading me?”
If your thoughts are leading you where you want to go, then keep that thought pattern. But if they are not, take those thoughts captive and replace them with thoughts that take you to your desired destination.
Philippians 4:8 says:
Put your mind to work on thoughts that will help you finish strong in Christ, not those that play into the enemy’s strategy to steal, kill, and destroy you.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
- Take heed daily
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).”Taking heed is just another way of saying “pay attention.” This is wise advice in your faith and in your weight loss plan. You must meet each day on its own terms. Each day has its own challenges to meet and problems to solve. That’s what makes the Christian life exciting! Create systems to keep yourself on track and help yourself remember why it is important to you to live healthy and fit.
- Write your vision of how you want to live as a healthy and fit person. Review your vision in the morning and use it to encourage yourself. The choices you make that day will move you closer or further away.
- Keep healthy foods close to you.
- Keep the foods that tempt you to binge and make you feel bad far away from you.
- Use an app or notebook to write down your food intake and the exercise you did to stay aware of the daily choices you are making.
- If you make a mistake, don’t let the experience go to waste; write down what you learned and what you plan to do differently if that situation occurs again.
If you replace a quitting mindset with a continue mindset, then you can be confident that you will reap if you don’t give up!
Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple program
P.S. The Bible gives us a prescription for change in Romans 12:2:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”It would be nice if our mind was renewed automatically when we accept Jesus as a Savior. But it is not. We must take the initiative to cast out old, self-defeating thoughts and replace them with thoughts that are consistent with God’s word. Only then can we experience new life in Christ. In the Take Back Your Temple program, you’ll receive several resources that help you renew your mind to God’s thoughts about health and wellness. If you are ready to experience God’s best in this area, I urge you to join us in this unique program today!
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