Let's Be Submitters, Not Quitters

It's January 2nd. Are you well on your way to accomplishing the resolutions you set yesterday? Have you gotten that garage cleaned out? Made your first million? Prepared all those recipes sitting in your social media accounts? Exactly, what have you gotten done?! Tick-tock, tick-tock! The second Friday in January is, apparently, known as Quitter's Day. This day designates the point at which 80% --or so the statisticians tell us --of people who made New Year's resolutions have given up on them. Two weeks or less! Time is important to us. We love statistics and results. These things help us set goals and stay on track. Time helps us to know what time to begin working or, even better, to stop. Along with measurements, it helps us keep track of progress. Have we been successful? Do we need to tweak something to improve results? But these are simply units of measurement. It's great to want to meet objectives within a certain timeline, but we can't let our expectations alter the journey.

I've mentioned before my experience with addiction. Breaking addiction requires a little more than setting a resolution, behavior modification. Though people have successfully "kicked" addiction to a particular substance by managing people, places, and things, often there needs to be a change in neural pathways. Stinkin' thinkin' perpetuated an addiction, or experimentation became a habit which became an addiction which led to some really stinkin' thinkin'. However you slice it, addiction tends to permeate thoughts and actions; it's psychological and physiological. Mind and body should be given attention when trying to create a more balanced and healthier lifestyle.

All of this to say, in my struggle with a far too common, all too acceptable substance, food, I have tried many things. Bulimia hides the bingeing with purging and excessive exercise. What damage the salt, sugar, fat, and chemicals in the foods I consume doesn't do, the vomiting, use of laxatives, and joint-deteriorating exercise does. As "hidden" as the addiction may be, the body clearly recognizes its effects. I have "promised myself" I would only eat certain foods, or only eat between the hours of 9 and 2, or fast on Sundays. I have committed to, when the temptation to binge hits, putting on praise music or praying for others or reciting Scripture. Nothing works. At no point have I ever been able to say, It is no longer a temptation for me work because I created new habits. I'm not sure that's how it is supposed to work. Religion doesn't renew a heart in and of itself. That's what actions and counteractions are --religion, devotion or strict adherence to a principle or practice. Should we develop new habits? Absolutely! But those habits by themselves rarely transform the thoughts and pathways in our brains that have walked hand-in-hand with addiction, that are, in part, addiction. Sin is an addiction we have all experienced. How to we "kick" that? 

Philippians 4:8 tells us, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The truth found in Scripture --Who am I? Who is God? What has He done for me? --is to be the content of our meditations. If we need to stop buying certain foods or take the pile of clothes off the treadmill or throw out every ounce of liquor, then by all means, we should do that. If it's necessary to talk to a counselor, find a reputable one. If we need friends to hold us accountable, we should find that group. But Romans 12:1,2 tell us we must submit both body and mind for renewing and transformation. And there is grace, perfect grace from our Lord to carry us on the way. And that way can be long. That way can require a copious amount of discipline and study and confession and brothers and sisters to hold us accountable. That way can bring people into our circle that are not necessarily people we would choose, but people who will labor with us. That way can be a daily reminder of how much we need a Savior and a daily challenge to grind for the sake of godliness. And that way can become a testimony of God's blessing and deliverance for those who will follow after Him and His ways.

So, I'm not saying to chuck the calendar or forego the setting of goals. I'm not saying we should sit back and God will do the heavy lifting while we entertain whatever sinful behavior we worship in His place. But I am saying, don't miss the journey; and it is a journey. Don't miss the knowledge and the glory He reveals to us as we pursue Him, heart, mind, soul, and body. And DO NOT give up! In Jesus' name!  

Photo courtesy Steven Ganski, Jr.