Recently there have been several reports about obesity in the US. I know this does not sound a topic for a Christian website, but give the following post a chance and see if it does not challenge your walk with Christ a bit. Personally, I am a few pounds overweight, and that trend does not seem to be waning, so obesity does affect me. I think the discussion about obesity also has some interesting parallels with other topics in the news and our personal walk with Christian though.
One of the things that drives me crazy about the topic of obesity is the news coverage on it. It seems that most journalists, not all - but most, begin their coverage by discussing how the food we eat is bad for us. Our food as too much fat, American portion sizes are too large, too much sugar, etc. Hello people, if you want to eat healthy don't order fries. If the portion is too big then take some home for the next meal. Too much sugar in your diet, then start eating food with less sugar. The food we consume is a PERSONAL decision. No one makes me eat at McDonald's, no one makes me finish my plate, no one orders for me.
I am a overweight because I choose to eat bad food, and not exercise enough to offset it’s effect. Let me let you in on the biggest diet secret in the world - eat less, choose healthier food, exercise more, and you will loose weight. Sure sometimes it takes time to overcome years of bad food choices and certain prescription drugs and health issues due lead to increases in weight, but given time, self discipline, and lifestyle adjustments we can all loose weight. I know it sounds simple, and honestly it is, but it does take time and self discipling. My weight issues exist because I choose not too change my lifestyle. No one else is responsible for that, just me and only me.
If I ever doubt it is my personal responsibility all I have too do is look around. There are plenty of people that were overweight in the past, but are thinner today. If it was impossible to loose weight, or to change lifestyles and diet, then they would all still be obese.
My food choices are not a result of other people, unless I choose too let them be. If my family and/or friends decide to eat bad food, then I can always prepare my own meals. I have healthy food at home, I just choose not to prepare it. I decide I want a pizza delivered at 8PM, instead of a making salad at 6PM. I decide that I do not want to go to the gym because there is a chance of a slight mist after midnight, and I do not want to drive in the rain.
Obviously the previous line is a ridiculous excuse, but I use it as an example of the flawed way we think. We use similar excuses in other areas of our lives. We have to drink because our daddy / mommy was a alcoholic. Yet we have other relatives that are not alcoholics. We can not learn because we did not get a good education. Yet 35% of our graduating class completed four year degrees. We can not work because we have to take care of our children, but our kids are in daycare or school from 7 to 4 daily. We justify our decisions, actions, and lifestyles, by using unrelated evidence and situations.
If we drink, it is our parents or societies fault. If we sleep around, it is because our parents or society did not love us enough . If we use drugs, it is because we did not have better role models. We are never responsible for what is wrong, any mistakes, and any screw ups. It is our family, our spouses, our job, our kids, our community, our schools, our something, but never us. My central point in all of this note is that we use similarly excuses and thought patterns in our relationship with God.
We tell anyone that will listen to us that we are Christians, but then we use excuses not too do the things of God. Consider the following excuses that most of us have heard, used or witnessed in our own lives -1) When our family is gone we will get back in church.
2) When my parents die I will get serious about God.
3) When I change jobs I will come more often.
4) When my husband / wife / boyfriend / girlfriend / cousin twice removes comes I will come too.
5) When I get a better job I will tithe.
6) When my house is paid off I will volunteer around the church more.
7) When I retire I will teach a class.
8 ) My company looks badly on Christians
9) My family does not come.
10) I work all week and I am tired and need rest.It all comes down to the trend in our society to avoid personal responsibility for our lives. The decisions and life situations of both ourselves and others become excuses for our personal failings. We have time to fish, knit, play sports, sing, party, work, act, mow, etc, but we have no time for God and it is not our fault.
This post may have seemed ridiculous at times, but the point is meant sincerely. For too long we have blamed everyone and everything else for our actions. It is never us, always them. We are never responsible if it is bad, and in our own mind never credited enough when we succeed. We are oppressed, repressed, depressed, and suppressed by everyone and everything.
To resolve this central issue, lack of personal responsibility, discussed here, we must begin to mature and admit that we are responsible for our actions, deeds, and sins. We are overweight because we have make bad decisions in the areas of diet and health. We are unemployed because we do not want to start at a minimum wage job and work up. We sin because we are imperfect, and we personally must take responsibility for that.The first two issues above (weight and career) can be resolved by us, and many lost people do resolve those issues. However, the third is the most vital and can only be resolved by God. We are sinners, saved by grace, not because of works, kinship, attendance, tithes, or any other function of association we choose.
God can not use us as long as we are blaming our sin on the actions others. We are responsible for what we do. We are the ones that sin, and we are the ones that go to hell for it's consciences without God. We are the only ones that can go to God and save ourselves. The great news is that TODAY is THE day of salvation, and the Jesus is at the right hand of the waiting Father to bridge the relationship between ourselves and God.Do not delay, today begin taking responsibility for your own actions and decisions. Live the rest of your days via the forgiving by the grace of God, not blaming everyone and everything else for our own actions.
