Article Display
Email  |  My Account  |  Donate
My generation is touted to be the first generation whose children will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due to symptoms associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition.
There are two vital components to great leadership. First, is the direction in which one is leading. Second, is the character in which one leads. Certainly we recognize the value of great leaders. We’ve witnessed their roles in history and we’ve been touched by those who have influenced our lives, both good and bad. I dare say that our awareness of the impact of leadership causes most of us to endeavor to be good leaders ourselves—at work and at home.

But what about our health, our lifestyles, our bodies? What about our children? Where are we going, and whose lead are we following?

It’s obvious that most of us want to be healthier. We’re spending countless billions of dollars on health and weightloss products. It seems the demand and need for help in attaining a healthier lifestyle fuels a great deal of our economy.

With more and more products flooding the market, we would expect to be making great strides toward better health. But in fact, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ailments are on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 33 percent of adults and 17 percent of children in the U.S. are considered obese.

My generation is touted to be the first generation whose children will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due to symptoms associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition. We seem to be headed in the wrong direction, and it’s easy to see why.

Food. It’s everywhere we go. It’s at work, school, the mall, the airport, the movies—even at church. I recently checked in to a hotel where a freshly baked platter of large chocolate chip cookies sat on the counter with a fan, blowing the tantalizing aroma directly into my face. Please!

Money. Suppliers giving us more because they are charging us a lot more. Our “small” sizes have become “large,” just as we have. I think our great-grandparents would be astonished at the portion sizes today. Then there’s that last-minute push, right before you pay, to save money by supersizing your order.

Exercise. We all know we should exercise to be healthier, but how much? And really, who’s got time? We’re too busy chauffeuring our kids, working late or just too tired to get off the couch. Maybe we hit the gym or the pavement for a month, then here come the interferences and hindrances in our lives and schedules and we quit. It’s hard to stay committed.

Nutrition? Yes, we know. More fruits and vegetables, more fish, chicken and leaner beef. But it takes time and know-how to plan and prepare healthy meals. Fast food is so much easier!

Whose Lead Are We Following?
With all of these obstacles to overcome, how can we possibly lead a healthy lifestyle? The answer is found in Galatians 5:16-18 (The Amplified Bible):
But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. When we are led by the Spirit, then we can do the things we truly need to do. We are not under the law, but under grace. That means we do our best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our eating and exercise habits—and He empowers us. If we occasionally miss it or we simply choose to eat a treat, we should do so without feeling shame or guilt. What matters most, is that we are consistent and faithful to follow His lead. We can totally trust that He is the One to follow toward a greater life and better health!
Make Spirit-Led Choices
Are your choices based on fleshly desires, or are they Spiritled? Are you following human nature, or the leadership of the Holy Spirit? How do we follow the Holy Spirit in our eating?

First, we acknowledge the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. In John 14:16-17 (AMP), Jesus said,
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.”
Notice how Jesus described the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Strengthener. In John 16:13 (AMP), He said: “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all Truth (the whole, full Truth).” We don’t have to rely on ourselves to gain victory in the area of living healthy. God desires that we look to Him for guidance. The Holy Spirit will help us and strengthen us!

Hebrews 5:14 says those who are mature in conforming to God’s will have, through practice, trained their senses to discern good and evil. This applies to our sense of taste. We honor God’s leading when we eat what He says is good to eat. As we grow in the knowledge of the truth of God’s Word, we gain the ability to discern good from evil.

Now that we have looked at this from a spiritual aspect, let’s look at what God says we should do in the natural. In Genesis 1:29, God says that grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables are good to eat. After the Flood, God said we could eat meat (fish, chicken, beef).

Science has confirmed the truth of God’s Word, because it says eating these foods can keep you healthy. Furthermore, research confirms that if you consistently make healthier food choices you will change your sense of taste and come to prefer healthier foods.

But let me add a caution: Stay away from junk food while you are retraining your sense of taste. You can do it with the power of God’s Word and the help of the Holy Spirit!

God desires you to know the fullness of His power and love for you. He doesn’t want you just to hear about His goodness; He wants you to experience it. Within His love resides the power to change your life and the character it takes to stay committed to those changes.

If you’ll make a decision to trust God and His Word, your life, your health and your body will never be the same again!


Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries

All rights reserved. Used by permission.


Author Biography

Marty Copeland
Web site: Marty Copeland
 
Marty Copeland is a wife, mother of 3, a Master Personal Trainer and Nutritional Guidance Counselor. Most importantly, she is here, doing this, because she has experienced first hand that God not only desires to help us reach our health and fitness goals, but He has the perfect plan that will lead us to a lifestyle of freedom and self-control. She has come to know that true health is more than just having a strong and healthy body-though that is something we should all enjoy. True health also includes a strong spirit and soul. It is when our spirits are full and our minds are strong that living a healthy lifestyle becomes easy.
Read more...

About Us

The online ministry of cfaith has been helping people discover faith, friends and freedom in the Word since 2000. Cfaith provides a unique and comprehensive collection of faith-building resources for the worldwide faith community.

At cfaith, you can strengthen your faith and deepen your understanding of the Word of God by digging into the vast collection of teaching articles, streaming audio and video messages, and daily devotionals. No other website offers such a unique and extensive collection of spiritual-growth resources aimed at helping you grow in your knowledge of the Word.

Read More...

 

 

Support Us

Why support cfaith?


(All contributions are 100% tax deductible)


SUPPORT CFAITH WITH ONE CLICK!

For every Internet search you make using
goodsearch, cfaith will receive one penny!

GS Logo 250x38

Contact Us

Business Hours:


Monday—Friday: 9 a.m.—5 p.m. CST
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Phone:

(763) 488-7800 or (800) 748-8107

Mailing Address: 

CFAITH.com
9201 75th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

 

Login Form

Please ignore the “Secret Key” field; it is not needed to log in to cfaith.

Login Change Article

Spring360x442
You need to enable user registration from User Manager/Options in the backend of Joomla before this module will activate.