Press on Toward the Goal.

Lets suppose that you are going to drive from Raleigh, NC to Hollywood, CA and were only going to drive at night. The trip would be a total of 2,557 miles and take a driving time of 38 hours. When you get into your car in Raleigh and turn your headlights on you can only see 100 feet ahead of you. This leaves you with 13,606,460 feet you have yet to see and drive before you get to your destination in Hollywood. You turn on the navigation system and start your journey. You can’t see Hollywood from Raleigh but know that you will get there. All you see are those 100 feet that your headlights shine, but you keep on course. You would never find your way without the course the navigation system charts out for you in your travels. You never doubt it, always trust it, and know that you will get to Hollywood.

Now lets suppose you are getting ready to start making changes to develop a healthier lifestyle. You want to start eating healthy and exercising more regularly so that you can better care for your body. You have a long way to go and can’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel, but do you need to? All you need to see is each little step that you take. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the distance of your journey. Only focus on those 100 feet that you can see. Do your best each day by making healthier choices and being more active for that day. If you continue to move those 100 feet at a time you will soon find yourself where you were not able to see before. That’s called faith! “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.

I know you may be thinking that making changes is not easy and can be a little daunting, but remember that you are not alone. You have been given a chance to have your own personal navigation system that guides you in life. God created each one of us to have a love relationship with him. God showed his love for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.  Understand that God wants what is best for you because he loves you and will help you through all things, even in developing a healthier lifestyle. Besides, as believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit resides within us, so God wants to have a strong and healthy dwelling place for himself within each of us (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If we can trust in a navigation system to get us from Raleigh to Hollywood, how much more can we trust God, who spoke all things into existence, in helping us on our journey to a healthier lifestyle.

In short, when making changes to improve on your health or in any other area of your life one should: Have faith, take one step at a time, and trust God every step of the way.

Don't focus on the problem, just focus on the solution.

There was once a young lady who stepped on a small piece of glass. The small chard of glass became imbedded into her foot. She said to herself “that really hurts” and she kept walking. The next day she got up in the morning and said “this hurts even worse” and looked down at her foot, it was very sore, red, and swollen around the piece of glass. As she was going through her day she couldn’t get her mind off of the pain. She said to herself “I hope this does not turn into anything serious because it keeps hurting more.”

Weeks passed and the pain was persistent. One evening at home she noticed   that her foot began to bleed and the pain became unbearable. She spent the entire night sleepless worrying about how she may lose her foot if it got any worse. She went to work the next day and her friend notice that she could barely walk and looked extremely tired and distressed. He asked her what was wrong. She said “I stepped on a piece of glass and it hurts so bad…and keeps hurting worse…and I might lose my foot if it gets to bad…and I just can’t take it anymore!” He asked her to take her shoe off and she did. Her friend asked her if she had tried to take it out. She said “well no…it really hurts!” He gave her a pair of tweezers and she pulled it out. The pain soon subsided.

Focusing on your problems and worrying yourself sick about them will not change a thing. It will just make it hurt even more. Here’s what the Bible says: “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one inch to his stature or to the span of his life.” Mathew 6:27. We must learn to trust God and reach for Him even when the pain is unbearable. He is the only one that can give us the strength we need to face our problems. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13. We may feel that the task at hand is daunting but to God it’s as simple as a pair of tweezers. All we need to do is trust in Him and take a step of action. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5.