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BOOK: Start Your New Life Today

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2) Make it convenient. If you are a busy person—and who isn’t?—you will have to find ways to fit your program into your schedule.

3) Find exercise and types of foods you like. Making yourself do something you hate won’t last very long.

4) Set realistic goals.

5) Reward yourself. When you lay out your short-term and long-term goals, go ahead and jot down some appropriate rewards for yourself with it.

Celebration can be a big part of this. Celebrations and parties help give structure to your journey and let you reflect on what you’ve accomplished. They also let your friends and family know how important your new goals are to you—and receiving their support can make all the difference.

CHAPTER 87

Put the Tools to Work

I
t would be so easy had God not given us free will. We could wander through the days like robots, eating the fruit that falls into our hands and waiting for something to happen to us next. But He did give us free will, which gives us tremendous responsibility but also the possibility of total joy and fulfillment.

God will give you all the tools you need on earth to reach spiritual completion. But it is up to you to take up those tools and put them to work restoring your health and respecting the body He gave you. He will help you and make it as easy on you as possible, but He won’t do the work for you. The work is an essential part of the fulfillment, an essential part of the process of freeing your soul from bondage. When you are in the depths of self-pity, knowing you are the one who must make right choices can feel like a pressure and responsibility you just don’t want; but once you make the commitment to maintaining your body and soul as you should to be a person of excellence and power, you discover that free will is your most valuable possession.

God will give you all the tools you need on earth to reach spiritual completion. But it is up to you to take up those tools and put them to work.

That is why you must avoid self-pity at all costs. Self-pity is an emotion that feeds on itself and steals your power. You need power to become the person you were meant to be, and you cannot be pitiful and powerful at the same time. I had a major problem with self-pity in my earlier years, and not until I stopped feeling sorry for myself did I start making progress.

We feel better about ourselves when we approach life boldly, ready to be accountable and responsible. You don’t have to hide from anything. You can do whatever you need to do in life. You can look healthy and attractive. You can feel great inside and out. You can live a life that keeps you fit and happy and productive for God into old age. It is all up to you. Through God, you are ready for anything. Confront your life head on and never turn back!

When it comes to taking responsibility for your own life, there is no wiggle room. The time has come to be very honest with yourself and with God. You either do what is right or you don’t! Make the decision to use everything you have learned about walking with God to break old habits and be transformed. When you have a moment of privacy, take a deep breath, clear your head, and repeat this phrase:

“I am responsible for my own life. No one can take charge of it but me. If I am unhappy or unhealthy, I know I have the power to change. I have all the help and knowledge I need, and with God’s hand today I will start becoming the person of excellence I have always known I could be.”

Blessings on you for the exciting and wondrous journey you are taking.

CHAPTER 88

God Restores Us Soul and Body

O
ver the years I have learned how to take care of myself; and most of all I have learned that I can have a lifetime of health for my body and soul. I believe good health for the whole person requires a solid faith in God through Jesus Christ. He helped me through all the rough years and He restored me. God showed me what to do and led me to make positive changes. Sometimes it took me a long time to fully obey, but I can say from experience, God’s ways work. His Word is filled with guidelines for good health; any person who follows them will experience good results.

I believe good health for the whole person requires a solid faith in God through Jesus Christ.

I have been in some deep, dark places where I could see no light at all. I started my life in such a place. I know how hopeless it can seem. My home life when I was young was extraordinarily dysfunctional. I began to feel the effects of it in my body by the time I was a teenager. The first trouble I remember was constipation and stomach pains. I went to the doctor, who told me I had a spastic colon. Only years later did I learn that disorder is usually caused by excessive tension, nervousness, and stress. Remember, any time the body cannot relax, that state of “disease” promotes disease.

By the time I was thirty-six I began having more serious symptoms in my body. I got sick for four months straight. I felt so bad most of the time I could hardly get off the couch. I realize now it was because my body was already breaking down due to the years of stress. Later I started having hormone imbalances. My monthly periods were too frequent and excessive. I took shots of estrogen every ten days to be able to function. Eventually I had a hysterectomy, which immediately plunged me into the “change of life.”

In 1989 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was fast-growing and estrogen-dependent, which not only meant I needed immediate surgery but also that I could no longer take hormone-replacement therapy while going through early menopause. I had surgery and endured several more years of sheer misery because my hormonal system was such a mess. As you might imagine, with this and a few other related health problems, I was a wreck.

Despite all of this I continued my work in the ministry. I traveled, taught God’s Word, stood in faith for my own healing, and often wondered how I could go on much longer. I worked hard, but I did not enjoy
anything.

Eventually I started reading books on nutrition and exercise. I firmly believe God led me to them. I began to realize that eating right and physical activity had to be a way of life. Going on fad diets to lose some weight, only to return to bad habits and gain it back, was getting me nowhere. I was tired of that cycle. I imagine many of you are also.

The books I read at that time did not include information on stress. Back then, few scientists understood the strength of the mind-body connection like they do today. Plenty of the doctors I saw (and I was always seeing doctors) did tell me that I was under extreme stress and desperately needed to make some lifestyle changes. I knew I couldn’t just take a year off to recover. We had a large staff at our ministry and I felt they all depended on me. After all, if I did not do my part, then nobody got a paycheck. When people who loved me tried to tell me I needed to stop working so hard, I just told them they did not understand my calling.

I was helping everyone else but not taking the time to help myself. I was a workaholic. Even though this all seemed overwhelming and insurmountable, God taught me about living a balanced life, and through that knowledge He delivered me from poor health.

I can truthfully say that I feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually than I ever have in my life. That’s a big claim! I live every day passionately, and what a breathtaking change that is. Too many of us get trapped in a rut of negative thinking, believing our healthiest days are behind us and that we will simply get more out of shape, sicker, and less energetic as we age. I’m living proof that’s not so! These are my best days. I have energy and contentment as I’ve never known, a fierce faith, and I fully expect to live out my life in health and grace. No matter your age or condition, you can do the same. We have a promise from God that we can still be very productive in old age. If you haven’t done so already, begin today making the right choices to live a healthy and productive lifestyle for all your life.

CONCLUSION

Trust God

M
y prayer as I finish this book is that it will be an invigorating launch point for your new life of faith in Christ. You may not understand all the material I have covered but I hope you will keep this resource handy and allow its instruction to continue to encourage and strengthen you for years to come. As I’ve said many times, your transformation into the image of Jesus is a process that will not be complete until we see him face-to-face, so be sure you don’t get discouraged if your progress seems slow. Keep taking steps of faith each day holding to God’s Word, seeking His will, and living in His ways, and you will keep moving toward the abundant life He’s promised!

I want to encourage you to also pursue an active relationship with a local church. It is important to be with people who want to serve God like you do. You need to find a church that feels like home to you, so even if it takes a while just keep looking. Worshiping God and studying His Word with others is a vital part of growing in God. And be sure you find a church that believes in and teaches the Bible as the complete and flawless Word of God. Attend regularly, learn incessantly, and give of your time and resources. If you’ve not been baptized, I recommend you do that as soon as possible in obedience to God’s Word. It is an outward sign of your inward decision to follow Christ.

I urge you seek the power of the Holy Spirit daily, because He is the One Who gives us the help we need to live a successful and fruitful life. Lean on God for everything, because without Him you can do nothing.

If you are anything like I was, you may have tendencies toward selfishness so you must learn to give. Giving is a vital part of the Christian lifestyle that Jesus teaches. Give of all your resources including time, talent, and money. Helping others through giving is one of the best things you can do for yourself. When you help someone else, you actually release joy in your own life.

Each of our lives is a journey and we don’t always understand all the things we encounter along the way. Some of the things that happen to us do not seem to be fair, but if we trust God He causes all things to work out for good in the end.

Learning to trust God at all times is the only way we can successfully complete our journey with joy. Trust means we will always have some unanswered questions. We won’t mentally understand everything that takes place because God’s ways are far above our ways. Although we don’t always understand God, we can always trust Him. He is good and only seeks to do what will benefit us in the end.

God wants to be your friend so I encourage you to talk to Him as you would a close friend. Always give Him first place in your life and serve Him with your whole heart. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of sharing God’s Word and principles with you.

I pray that you will enjoy every day of your new life!

About the Author

J
OYCE
M
EYER
is one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. A #1
New York Times
bestselling author, she has written more than seventy inspirational books, including
The Confident Woman, I Dare You,
the entire Battlefield of the Mind family of books, her first venture into fiction with
The Penny,
and many others. She has also released thousands of audio teachings as well as a complete video library. Joyce’s
Enjoying Everyday Life
^®radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. Joyce and her husband, Dave, are the parents of four grown children and make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.