The search for a quick, easy way to lose weight and get fit has been my addiction for most of my life. The adventure begins as I wait in the checkout line. A headline catches my eye, promising that I can “Lose Weight Fast with This 3-Step Plan.” I tuck the magazine of the week away in my cart. I can’t wait to get home to prepare for the newest and best plan yet! I may even go back into the store to find all the items on the list of things I have to eat and drink to execute the plan to the fullest. As I sit down and read through the article, my mind races, imagining how wonderful this new plan is going to be, and how I will soon be the size I need to be in order to “have it all together.”
The first day goes fabulously as I drink a strange combination of fruit juices, or cut vegetables for a soup. The second day is harder as my body detoxes from the sugar and caffeine it is craving. By the third day, my brain fogs up, and my thoughts become scattered as I struggle to make it through the night at work. The night gets busy, and becoming derailed from the plan, I reach for a quick candy bar. Another great plan ruined, I think. I may as well eat what I want. The next day I go back to french fries and chicken tenders at the drive-thru.
This endless cycle of fads and fixes was how I lived my life. A few years ago, I was determined to lose weight and get healthy. I lost weight with the help of medications. My focus was on what the world said was “healthy.” I noticed that my body was suffering side effects, but a particular number indicating weight loss was more important to me than true wholeness.
A friend joined me on this journey of striving and seeking. We trained for an extreme obstacle course, the newest trend at the time promising physical fitness. We were going to be strong and fit at 40. We pushed ourselves each night as we worked out together. Push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks and burpees. Sweat rolled as we pushed to achieve our physical goals.
One night as we worked out, we talked about things in our lives we were struggling with and felt the need to pray. Prayer is always a good choice. As we stood holding hands with sweat dripping from our bodies, we started calling out to God to help us, to be with us, to guide us. God heard our prayers, but His answer came in a different way than we expected. With our faces lifted towards the heavens, we felt the cool breeze of the wind and the power of the Holy Spirit like never before. Our Father spoke to us about chains and bondage that we were not aware of in our lives.
Love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind and all of your strength. Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be given to you. Stop striving for a number or a time on a race course. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
God revealed that my focus on the worldly definition of health, and the path I was traveling to get there, was getting in the way of me living out His command to love Him and love others. That encounter brought me to Revelation Wellness, and my life has been forever changed.
I learned that fitness is only a tool. It’s not the focus. I learned that I will not always get it right. Sometimes I eat cake. Most of the time, I walk instead of run. But when I move, I am in a state of worship, not strife. I make healthy choices to fuel my body so that I can serve my Lord, not be a certain size. I am no longer bound by chains of comparison and envy.
Love God, Get Healthy, Be Whole, Love Others is not just a motto or a catchy phrase for a t-shirt. It’s FREEDOM.
In the comments below, share what is weighing you down. How has God lifted those lies and freed you to live into your design?
Dena lives with her family on a small farm in NC. She is a nurse, teacher, missionary, ministry leader and Revelation Wellness instructor. You can read more from Dena at www.denacave.com or follow her on FB at Revelation Wellness- Harvest Fitness.
Thank you for reading along on the Revelation Wellness Blog this week! Do you feel a call to adventure and a desire to experience the presence of God in a tangible way through nature? Then join us in hiking the Grand Canyon in one day, and experience God’s power, presence, and love for you! Sign up now for Rim to Him Spring 2020 on May 15-18!
Workout with us in this #wednesdayworkout! For more workouts like this, visit RevWell TV.
RON’S CARDIO LADDER – “HUNGER & THIRST”
This workout will challenge you to get your heart rate up and keep it there for a full 20 minutes. Your lungs and legs are about to battle. But your mind of Christ gets the final say. (ALL LEVELS) (MATTHEW 5&6; NO EQUIPMENT)
27 Responses
Dena, i feel like this is a story In many peoPles hearts.. i know it resoNateS in mine. Thank you for sharing such a personal, and moving glimpse of what you’ve experienced. I thank god often for Revelation Wellness, and the family that it is. Well done sister!!
Thank you for reading, Cindy! Her story resonates with me also 🙂
Absolutely loved and needed to read this today! Thank you for sharing!
We are so glad this blessed you!
Beautiful Dena! Absolutely beautiful truth!!
Thanks for reading, Diane!
So much is weighing me down; the balance of my relationship with God; husband; family; house work and work work has been very hard for me. For the last 9 months; especially the last 5 my faith has been tested. Our grandson was born with an ophaloceal (his insides were on the outside) the doctors didn’t catch this in all of the prenatal visits; Brandon was a medical at birth, he was born vaginally without complication. I praised God for this; gods first miracle. Shortly after birth more deformities were found (7 heart defects) Brandon had open heart surgery before he was two months old. The surgery went wonderfully; another praise to God we were on the road to healthy. The night after surgery Brandon’s repaired heart stopped; he was down, he was down for almost an hour before the doctors and nurses got it started again; another miracle and praises to God!!
After all this there were more struggles with Brandon (numerous blood transfusions, put on ECHOM (?), breathing treatments, blood draws( just to name a few) Brandon fought (God with him I know) for almost two months; Brandon went home before he was four months old. During all this his parents (my son, Johnathon, and daughter-in-law, Brittany) never lost faith in God they put Brandon and themselves in God’s hands; they are the most brave, courageous, strong people I know.
That little family brought so many people to Christ and renewed people’s faith . While they never questioned God or lost faith, I did/have found myself questioning, “Why Brandon?” Did you not hear my prayers? You have healed so many. Why not him? Were my prayers not good enough? Did I not pray hard enough? Why take him at such a young age?
Slowly my faith is being restored, the blogs, podcast, and workout have been a major reason. I have a long way to go, but I know through Christ I will see Brandon again; I know Jesus is loving on him; that Brandon is whole his body is healed. There is no more pain. Brandon is where we all are trying to get to. Anyway thank you for being an outlet and helping make me whole #brandonstrong #revwell #simplyworkingonme
Wow, Billie. Thank you for sharing this story with us all! I cannot imagine the pain you and your family went through witnessing the health struggles with Brandon. I’m so sorry that you had to endure so much suffering and watch him suffer. The answers to the questions you asked are not easy to answer. It is a mystery why some people are healed and others are not. But, know that the Lord weeps with you and your family. He loves Brandon and your family. Our hope in Christ is that all creation will be healed and restored. Brandon will rise in the new heaven and new earth with a fully functioning body. He will not feel pain or suffer.
Thank you for sharing, Billie! Keep pressing into the Lord. We’re thankful this ministry can help you toward the Healer.
Wow, what a BEAUTIFULLY written, honest DESCRIPTION of a Reality so many of us struggle with every day. Thank you for sharing it with us, dena, Well done!
Yes! Thank you for reading, Lauren!
This could not have come at a better timE for me. I have struggled with the same issues for most my life if Not all. Just returning from a 10-day Cruise, TodAy i sit here frustrated with recent weight gain and ponder over doing a 5-day fast And what Nutrition program is next. this post reminds me that i just need to eat healthy and make healthy choices that honor And servE my body well so that i can be a good and healthy servant of god. I no longer want to be a slave to “fit nutrition” With TEDIOUS counting and logging. I choose health aS my freEdom lifeStyle. Thank you for this very special REMINDER that this journey is not our destination.
Thank you for sharing, Cyndi! We are cheering you on! You do not have to be a slave to dieting and nutrition. You are beautiful and WHOLE!
Sometimes you read something that just resonates with you! You feel like they are WRITING your story! Thank you for that!
Right?! Thank you for reading, Sheila!
Wow! Seems like you know me very well. This has been me for a long time. I struggled to be one size, one weight, and made it so hard on my self. I didn’t always listen to the advice on each work out and went in full force and may have injured myself in the process. But God! He is working in me. I still walk a lot, ride my bike, and eat smaller portions to maintain a good weight for my age . I no longer compare myself to anyone on tv or magazine and just strive to be the best me I can.
Thank you for sharing, Ana! This is a free and WHOLE way to be! Keep pressing into the Lord!
I can so Relate to tHis, being a Very large woMEn i was always looking for weight losS quick fix, only to lose and gain again, since fInding REVELATION wellness im walking in more Freedom than ever and learning to TRULY love my as GOd does RECEIVING healing from the things that havE weigh me down all my lIve, thank you for Sharing your truth to help so many walk in FreeDom
Thank you for sharing, Elena! Your testimony of healing and freedom is such an encouragement to us!
PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR ME TO BE WELL
We will pray for you, Jilly!
Oh Dena, how beautifully written and hoW much it speaks to my heart. I have recently been looking for or being sucked in to which “fix” to try next. I am digging deeper with trying to (its hard for me) ask God for eating plan and listening to where he is directIng me. In conversation with my husband last night i asked, if God wanted me to do this triathlon why did he make me thiS size., why do they not have outfits for women my Size, why cant i lose what needs to be lost to look like the others and fit in those tri suits. My husband reminded me that maybe God made me this way because this is parT of my journey. So this came at the perfect time for me. I appreciate you, your words, and your journey!
Thank you for sharing, Kristen! I’m so glad your husband is so loving and reminds you who you are!
I think so many of us can definitely relate to all of this. At least I know that I can!
Thank you for sharing this and thank you for letting God use you! I will always be so thankful that god used you to introduce me to Rev!
Hey Sisters! I love this conversation that’s been started with an honest post. recently, god has shown me that i need creativity within my healthy habits. as I look back, it seems that changing programs had that element mixed in with my hopes of getting everything “right” and “fixed” by doing it perfectly. as you know, that didn’t ever work (because it doesn’t). it’s taken me years of cycling in this process to finally get to where i am today: my overall goals & programs are the same, but i get to refresh them with creativity that speaks to my soul and gives me life. for example, i’m still following my raw vegan eating plan, but i just started a 21-day plan that has new recipes that are amazingly yummy! i’m clearly not abandoning what god has led me to do; he’s allowed me to see how to mix it up while staying on the plan. it’s so refreshing and healing…free from perfectionism & high expectations!
Thanks for sharing, Shari! This is so good!
Very nice article about weight loss, really helpful
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