Do You Want the Blessing of God?
Recently, I was asking my Dad for advice. You know, every once in a while you need a fathers guidance, if not from your biological father, then one who has wisdom through years of Kingdom service. If you don’t have that person in your life, seek one out. Seriously.
I was asking my dad mostly about weight loss. Yes, for those of you that know me and my wonderfully expanding earthly physique, you know I need all the help I can get. My dad has lost a lot of weight lately by making small decisions to not eat certain foods that he knows affect his body poorly. We all know the ones. But, the burning question I wanted to know was this...I asked, “HOW?! How did you CHOOSE not to eat the foods you love…”. He answered simply, “I just don’t put it on my plate”. Great. That helps a ton dad. Thanks.
It was a decision he made to place his health and longevity ahead of the things he wanted in the moment. The sad truth is, I am willing to do the opposite, to literally sacrifice health and longevity for simple wants that pass quickly but leave lasting effects. Ugh. I then felt the two words whispering into my spirit that most Christians secretly love to hate.
Self Discipline.
After that conversation, my dad (in all his wisdom), sent me some sobering questions from a devotional he was reading called ‘SoulFood’ to help my perspective. That is what I want to share with you all now. These mostly deal with wanting God’s blessings in your life and can be applied to many areas, yes, even food intake. Here goes...
Ask yourself, “Do I really want the blessing of God on my life?” Before you answer, stop and ask yourself these 8 questions.
Am I willing to let go of what I want if it’s not God’s will for me?
Do I covet what others have instead of waiting for God’s provision for me?
Do I keep talking about my rights because I haven’t fully surrendered to the Lord?
Do I truly love others and think of them first?
Am I practicing the daily disciplines of prayer and bible reading?
Am I allowing God to handle my public relations instead of promoting myself?
Am I expressing joy in the midst of adversity and trusting God to reproduce the character of Jesus in me?
Am I taking risks in obedience to Christ instead of giving in to fear and playing it safe?
These questions have really helped me square things up in my mind before acting on anything really... whether food related, relationships/friendships or just to help strengthen my daily walk with God.
Not only will your answers to these questions determine your discipleship, your direction and destiny, they will also determine your level of blessing. If it helps, you should write these down and meditate on them for your own lives. You’ll be surprised at your results and maybe we will all become better people. Amen?
Good practical advice from one dad to his son.
Thanks, Dad.