We live in a world of instant gratification. We want immediate responses to our questions, fast food, and overnight weight loss success. Yet we hypocritically say the person who provided a quick but wrong response is incompetent. We get angry when we do not get exactly what we ordered at the drive through. Likewise, we demand a refund when the $19.99 weight loss wonder pill failed to deliver the promised results in thirty (30) days. None of this is of the Father.
Exodus 13:17-18 states, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, God took the Israelites the long way around instead of taking the shortcut that was readily available because He knew the dangers ahead of them and that they were too weak to fight another battle.
Unlike us, our God is patient (Numbers 14:18, 2 Peter 3:9). He strategically planned all of creation from its beginning to its end before laying the foundation of the universe, time, and space. He carefully, lovingly, fearfully, and wonderfully made man in His image, and He teaches us to be like Him by reminding us in His Word that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Since we are made in His image, those who have been redeemed should reflect His holiness more and more each day. Therefore, patience should be growing and blossoming within you as the Fruit of the Spirit is cultivated in the soil of your spirit. Stop being so quick to get angry during rush hour traffic! Stop losing faith because the answer to your prayers did not present itself an hour later. Stop giving up on your diet and exercise plans because you did not lose one hundred (100) pounds in two (2) weeks! You did not gain three hundred (300) pounds overnight, so you cannot expect to lose it that quickly. Likewise, recovering from an eating disorder will take time, so do not expect all of your negative behaviors to evaporate overnight.
Learn to trust God and His timing for everything! His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). The delay in traffic may have been God’s way of protecting you from an accident. Your order could have been wrong to keep you from getting food poisoning. Likewise, you may be on a plateau for a spiritual reason instead of a physical one. Plainly speaking, it may be taking you longer to lose weight or fully recover from an eating disorder because God is intentionally taking you the long way around.
The person in your office who lost one hundred (100) pounds may have had gastric bypass surgery or taken other drastic measures such as consuming dangerous pills that promise rapid results without changing eating habits. The person you admire may look healthy and fit, but they secretly binge and purge on a regular basis. That is not God’s Will for your life. He will deliver you safely to the Promised Land of Healthy and Fit for Life and help you to defeat all of the giants in the land one battle at a time, but your patience is necessary to win the health and fitness war!
If you are ready to trust God’s timing and patiently implement His health and fitness plan for your life, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones! The classes are free! There are no registration fees or membership fees! Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials. Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST! Space is limited. Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God. Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ. Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips. Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends. Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org
