Scale Victories/ Heart Victories

10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
A week ago when I started this WW journey, I wasn't sure I could do it. Tracking, eating write, exercising, all things that I have never really been consistent with in the past. Being a food worshiper the thought of not giving myself what I want when I want it just seemed unfathomable, I mean I HAVE to have chocolate, chips, name your food. Un-like Paul in 1 Philippians 4:10-13 I certainly did not have contentment nor did I really want it.

However, this week was another step in the Lord's process of growing/sanctifying me to be more like Christ. I learned how to live without the extra piece of chocolate, or the extra serving, and even more so I learned to be content with what I have been given instead of just longing for what I don't have. I focused my thoughts more on Him and less on me and my own desires. I learned to turn my heart away from the idol of food and to the arms of Jesus. I learned that discipline in the long run really does produce that harvest of righteousness and peace (Hebrews 12:11.) And this week the Lord reward me with a loss of 4.6pds! Wow!

I didn't have to do anything dramatic to get that weight loss, I ate healthy, I even still had a few special treats during the week and I exercised by walking 1-2 miles Mon-Fri.

A friend of mine earlier in the week tweeted about an article about setting goals. The article talked about how we often approach goals as an "option" for ourselves, and this is why many of us fail to meet them. The author of the article suggested that we approach our goals as a "have to" just as we would with a job, taking care of our family, getting dressed.  So this week I applied some of that thought process. I made Jesus my employer who has given me the task of losing weight to be healthy and to glorify him, and I just did what he asked me to do. Which was to stay on plan, exercise, and turn to Him.

I am praising the Lord today for this victory. I am going to refer to this post in the weeks to come to remind myself that in all of this I can learn contentment because as Paul said "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."