Holy, Healthy, Whole: Growing Fruits of the Spirit for Weight Loss and Wellnessნიმუში

Joy During Weight Loss

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Are you joyful about losing weight?

If your eyes bugged out a bit when you read that question, and you thought,

Sara, What…!? Heck no, I’m not joyful that I’m overweight!

…I get you.

When it comes to weight loss, joy is often the last thing on our minds. Diets, rules, hunger, and a number we don’t like on the scale make it so we can barely muster up any happiness, let alone something deeper like actual joy.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

As a Christian, your joy comes from trusting in Jesus as your Savior. Happiness may come and go, but you have a lasting joy that sustains you.

This truth applies to all areas of your life, so it applies to your body and your weight, too.

I know it’s challenging, but today, consider approaching your weight loss efforts with joy.

Here’s a comparison of happiness and joy that will help you get started.

Happiness is…

• externally focused. You want the number on the scale to go down, and when it does, you are happy. But then there’s a weight gain, so you go back to being unhappy.
• circumstantial. You are happy when you are eating chips or cookies, but you are unhappy when you are eating kale.
• up and down. You are happy when you are 100% perfectly following your eating plan, but then happiness flies away when you fall off the wagon.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with being happy. Yet because of its fleeting nature, constantly seeking happiness leads you to frustration and even depression about your weight and eating.

Joy is…

• from the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “…And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'” Joy is constant because it comes from God.
• promised. The Bible never promises you happiness in this life, but you are promised joy. You might be frustrated with a lack of weight loss, but you can cling to the promises of the Bible that joy is there.
• based on an eternal focus. No matter how bad things get with your weight loss, food, or eating, you know you have eternal life forever with Jesus, and that changes everything. The saying “Heaven is my home” is not just a cute phrase.

Reflection: Is it possible to find joy in your weight loss journey? How?

Prayer: Lord, you have promised me joy, and I’m clinging to that promise today. It’s tough to find joy in a life circumstance that is so challenging. Reveal to me new ways in my food and eating choices to find new joy that comes only from You. Amen.