Weight Loss Scripture Day 14: Perfect Peace

Day 14: Christian Weight Loss Scripture

Every day in the month of April, I will post an encouraging scripture on my website that I hope will instruct and inspire you on your weight loss journey.

Today’s focus scripture is taken from Isaiah 26:3:

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

This is one of the most practical prescriptions for health in the bible and yet one of the toughest ones for us to follow! This scripture came to me yesterday as I found myself worrying about a particular situation. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.

Then I thought, “Wait a minute. Jesus said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30). I am feeling burdened right now. Something is wrong!”

Instantly, today’s scripture popped into my head and I closed my eyes and started meditating on God’s goodness. I meditated on situations that I had once thought were impossible to overcome, yet God brought me through. A wonderful feeling of peace and calmness came over me after a while, proving the truth of the scripture.

So it will be for you too. The more you meditate on your problems, the more anxious you feel. The more you meditate on your solution (God), the more peace you feel.

This reminds me of some research I did because I was curious as to why Jesus referred to his followers as “sheep”. And I found out some interesting facts about them from Wikipedia that says a lot about how we are expected to behave:

Sheep:

* In general, sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well-lit areas

* Sheep prefer to move uphill when disturbed

* Sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock

* In displaying flocking, sheep have a strong lead-follow tendency

So as sheep, when we are disturbed, our first instinct should be to move “uphill” and seek the light of God’s presence and his word. We also should seek other believers who can help support us during times of vulnerability. Finally, we should strive to hear God’s voice so that we can follow where he would have us go.

In contrast, Jesus called those who were not his “goats”. Here are some interesting facts about goats:

Goats:

* Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything, except tin cans, and cardboard boxes

* Goats will test fences, either intentionally or simply because they are handy to climb on

* Being very intelligent, once a weakness in the fence has been discovered, it will be exploited repeatedly

* Goats readily revert to the wild if given the opportunity

Goats resist any and all boundaries, continually wanting to have their own way. Even though the Shepherd set up the boundaries to protect them, somehow in their minds they think they know better and seek to climb over the boundaries just because they can.

Goats, in spite of their intelligence, do not act from wisdom but from self-will. They are well known for their combative nature, while sheep are known for being peaceable and gentle. Which would you like to be?

I’ve had “goat days” but thankfully they are rare now. I have learned the wisdom of keeping my mind stayed on the Shepherd who knows the past, present, and future. A Shepherd who loves me and has my best interest at heart. A Shepherd who promises that all things work together for my good because I am called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

If you find yourself being anxious about any aspect of your Christian weight loss plan or anything else in your life, then re-direct your mind to your Shepherd and receive the peace that surpasses all understanding!

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Taylor, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book