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Does every diet make you suffer?
Today is Day 3 of the 10 Day Col. Diet. If you are stopping by for the first time, you may want to read the welcome from Day 1.
Day 3 Diet Dose: Col 1:24-29, Col 2:1-5 & 2 Cor 1:3-11
Every diet has its taste of suffering, doesn’t it?
Maybe its no more chocolate… or no salty foods… no carbs. ugh!
Then, of course, there’s the suffering in the gym… running, lifting, spinning… it never ends!
But, if you follow the plan – stick to it – what happens?
Results!
And that’s what I’m after today. How about you?
So what results can you expect from the 10 Day Col. Diet?
Paul states in our passage for today: I want you to know how much I am struggling… My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ…
Results? How does encouraged in heart sound? Or even united in love?
Or how about about the verses from 2 Corinthians: We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…
Paul’s payoff? Relying on Christ, not self.
Want more? How about hope… hope for deliverance… hope that is full, not an empty promise.
In the midst of Paul’s words there is an underlying theme that is important for us to catch.
HE SHARES HIS SUFFERING.
He doesn’t hide, he doesn’t fold, he doesn’t fall asleep. (And he certainly doesn’t pretend that he has it all together!)
Paul continually tells his friends the truth about what is going on in his life. And the truth wasn’t pretty. However in sharing, Paul builds strength. In sharing, others find hope. In sharing, God receives glory.
Here’s the best part. Paul, being a servant of the gospel says:
Col. 1:29: To this end I labor, struggling with all His [Christ's] energy, which so powerfully works in me.
How amazing is that? Ultimately it’s Christ that gives us energy to carry on in the midst of our trials.
Day 3 Diet Challenge (this might be a tough one to swallow): Share your struggles with a friend. If you’re in a good place today, reach out to someone who may be suffering and offer hope. Don’t forget to comment to let us know you were here today!
Subscribe to Heart Reflections by Email —>Have the 10 day diet sent directly to your inbox!
for further consideration:
What should I wear today?
(pic from sheknows.com)
I spend a lot of time in my closet.
Correct that, I spent a lot of time looking into my closet.
I don’t know what I’m hoping to find. But I often stand outside my closet door looking. Sometimes searching for the right shirt, the perfect black “skinny” pants, the feel good texture for the day…
In my history of yo-yo dieting, I have a wide range of sizes represented in my closet. You, too? Currently, there’s not much inside that fits.
My preacher-hubby spoke on Colossians 3:12-14 at a recent wedding. The scripture convicted my heart and made me wonder why I don’t spend the same time in my spiritual dressing room as I do in my own closet.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Col 3:12-14
Which piece of clothing is missing in your closet?
For me, I need to try on some quiet strength and content with second place.
I’ve heard people compliment me before on my strength… but never quiet strength. I’d like to see how quiet strength fits on me.
What about you? What are you going to wear today?
While digging into Colossians I kept coming across wonderful nuggets of truth. Instead of trying to pack them all into one little post I decided to challenge myself to a 10 day diet of Colossians! Each day, starting tomorrow, I’ll post a new section of Colossians as well as some thoughts to help us clean up our closets!
Reading through Colossians in 10 days is easy to do. The challenge will be to allow God to speak to you personally on how to apply His truth to your life. Ready to go? Oh, did I tell you that there’s a prize inside? See you here tomorrow!
Practice makes perfect?
Who came up with that saying ~ practice makes perfect? Aren’t we setting ourselves up for failure? I mean really, how many of us are gonna hit our goals Michael Phleps’ style?
So, maybe practice makes progress would be a bit more realistic. Progress is good, isn’t it? Its just not perfect though! Read the rest of this entry
Detox your body and soul; part 3 Who is God
It’s Day 10 of my new job and I tried something new. Something that I haven’t done in a long, long time. Something that I know helps achieve results, but something that demands everything you’ve got!
I ran.
Day 6 of my new job!
So I made it through a whole week without completely ruining any progress on my new job! I was a little afraid after the chocolate chip escapade on the first night! I’ve been eating my veggies, enjoying fruit, and exercising a whole bunch. I do feel good. And feeling good keeps you motivated and wanting more. I’m wondering, do any of you have any good recipes for salads? I’m getting sick of the same old thing.
We all love a good challenge, don’t we girls?! So how about a faith challenge? Read the rest of this entry
First day on the job
Today I got a new job. It doesn’t pay well, but the benefits are good. It’s hard work, yet I hope to see results quickly.
My job: I’m on a diet!
Need I say more? Read the rest of this entry
