Give Me Strength!

A Confession...

Marinate yourself in the Word of God and He will fill you with strength.

Oh goodness, I just had another birthday! I have considered the numbers and thought maybe I should just stop counting. Or maybe I could count backwards? Some people I know do that. Instead, however, I have decided that I will make a concerted effort to age with attitude!

To do that, I need to focus on strengthening myself. Physically and spiritually. Confession: I’m in bad shape in the physical department and the spiritual me definitely needs a reboot. Both need some concentrated, serious attention.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-21 NLT

I have struggled for years with a food “addiction”: I crave food. I enjoy food. I eat food. I obsess over food. I am 100 pounds overweight. (There, I said it out loud!) In fact, sometimes I wonder if I have made food an idol. That is extremely detrimental to both the physical and spiritual me.

Beginning last week, I launched a new quest to become physically healthier. If my body is God’s temple, I need to treat it as such, right? I am now working to eat less and make more healthy choices. (And, no, its not easy! Can I honestly learn to love vegetables, ban crackers and fries, and enjoy exercise?)

Now what can I do to become spiritually stronger and healthier too? I expend a bunch of effort daily on the outer me. I scrub, brush, curl, cream, dress and paint myself every morning. (Momma always told me never to leave home without my makeup!) I work at looking the best I can on the outside. But the inner me?

In First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth that they needed to spend time strengthening their inner being. I believe he is telling us the same thing.

May he grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. - Ephesians 3:16 AMP

Read that again, please. The Lord will grant us the ability to be strengthened and spiritually energized with His power! Not on the outside, but on the inside - down deep into the innermost parts of who we are.

When and how will He do that? You guessed it – when we take our time to steep in His Word just like my tea bag is steeping in the hot water right now. Marinate in Him (as our former pastor would say). Soak up His Holy Word. Simply spend time with the Lord. Period. Its as simple as that. It is totally up to us.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.

Colossians 3:16 NLT

Yes, I added another year to my total years this week. My body is growing older and a bit weaker with age. I will do all I can to fight it, but age is natural. And, remember, I am aging with attitude! But my spirit? I am choosing to feed and strengthen it on the Word of God – the ultimate nourishment!

Go feed your spirit and strengthen yourself! Make yourself a cup of tea and think about steeping your life in Christ, inside and outside.

Hugs and blessings,

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Dear Lord, please give me strength in my quest to live a more healthy and holy life. Please feed my spirit with Your Word and fill me with your power to live as You have called me to live. Amen.

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Consider:

How do you nourish and strengthen your body and your spirit? Please share! It would be great to begin a conversation here about physical and spiritual health. I need support and encouragement. Do you? THANKS!