Sugar-Free and Spirit-Filled by Healthy by DesignSample

Overcoming Complacency

How many times have you cut out sugar only to go back to your old familiar habit and patterns?

Because of God's incredible love for us, He does not want us to remain stuck or stagnant in any area of our lives. His plan is for us to see His glory manifested in each and every one of our lives.

Yet, despite God's plan for us, many of us struggle with complacency. Whether it's due to poor habits, not being surrounded by good role models, loss of hope, settling for low standards, or poor self-esteem, complacency is a stronghold to be uprooted from our lives.

Paul tells the Philippians (3:12) that he has learned the secret to overcoming complacency. Paul’s secret is that he is always striving to do what God has called him to do. He is not focused on his needs, his wants, his desires, or his agenda. At the end of the day, Paul did his best to be faithful to God’s call on his life. He states, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me—I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

If we want to avoid becoming complacent, either on this health journey or in all other areas of our lives, we should take our everyday ordinary life and offer it as a sacrifice to God. Use this devotional, every meal you eat, every workout you do, every situation you encounter and place it before God as an offering. Refuse to grow complacent with where you are in life. Rather, work diligently to glorify God in everything you do.

As you go about your day, think about offering everything up to God. Let your goal be to bring honor to Him in everything you do. Imagine how your life would be transformed! Imagine how your heart would be full of gratitude. This, my friend, is the cure for overcoming complacency.

Reflect

Step 1 - PAUSE. Think about how you grow complacent as you try to give up sugar and/or on your weight-loss journey. Now think about how different your daily life would be if you offered up everything you did to God. Capture your thoughts as you meditate on this Scripture.

Step 2 - PRAY. As you reflect on how you grow complacent on your weight loss journey, what Scriptures will be helpful during times of complacency?

Step 3 - ACTIVE PRACTICE. Perform an active movement to help you retrain your brain to think positive healthy thoughts. ie. put your hand over your heart or lift your hands up to God.

Prayer

"Heavenly Father, thank you for another day of living with the privilege to grow into the woman you made me to be! My desire is to give it all to you in thanks for all the ways you love me, and for the ultimate sacrifice that you paid for me. Lord, help me to be conscious of how I live and don't allow me to fall into fitting into worldly ways of doing or being. It's so easy to compromise and to grow content with the cultural status quo. But, that's not what You're calling me to, so I renounce the ways I've allowed myself to slip into worldly patterns—I repent. My Lord, may I walk in your Spirit, offering each simple act as a living and holy sacrifice to you. Slow me down and show me that the little things matter. Help me to learn to wear life like a loose-fitting garment; also, to take to heart the great love You have for me. I want a life that reflects those things, one that shows off your heart and your character to the world—that it (and I) may slowly, but surely, conform to your ways. Today, Lord, I reject the spirit of complacency and I press on toward the goal to win the prize that you've called me to in Christ! In His name. Amen."

I pray that you will live in excellent health. To find our books, resources, or to sign up for our weekly newsletter to help you discover weight loss, God's way, go to https://cathymorenzie.com/yv .