Goodbye, Muffin Top!

Hebrews 11:8. “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as an inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.”

Recently I have started to develop “The MuffinTop Syndrome.” When buttoning my pants there is a ring of excess “me” that hangs over the edge of my pants waistline – it looks like the top of a muffin fresh from the oven. Other people, and even my closest friends and family, may not think I am getting soft, but I know that I am not as fit as I should be.

I can easily explain what has happened. I have been doing too much eating and not enough exercising. Though I tend to be a pretty healthy eater – I like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains – these eating habits are not enough if I am not moving my body and strengthening my muscles. The food just sits there if I don’t expend enough energy.

Many believers are content to grow fat in their knowledge of God’s Word, but rarely exercise their faith in what God says. Without faith it is impossible to please God. We are saved by grace through faith in what Christ did on the cross by dying for our sins. But faith is something that needs to expand.

It is important to read and study the Bible on a daily basis. In this way we are fed with the truth of God’s Word and receive the spiritual nutrition our hearts and souls need. As God speaks to us through the Scripture and we speak to Him through prayer we discern the knowledge of His will for our lives.

But this is not enough. When God tells us to do something we need to do it immediately. There will often be times when we will not understand all the details of His plan, but He desires that we trust Him anyway. When these times come and we obey, even without all the information we desire, we exercise our faith muscles. As God provides and directs our confidence in Him grows.

God called Abraham in just this way. He told him, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to a land that I will show you.” He promised Abraham that he would cause him to become the father of a great nation and that He would bless him making him famous and blessing the entire world through him.

Whether or not this was a hard decision for Abraham, the Bible tells us he departed as the Lord had instructed him. Even without knowing where he was going he packed up and left, trusting that God would show him the way. God did not let him down and throughout Abraham’s life we see evidence that his faith in God grew stronger with each experience. Genesis 15:6 says, “And Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.”

So today is the day! I am determined to begin putting the calories I eat to good use by revamping my cardio plan for better health. What about you? Is your faith getting fat on knowledge alone? Ask God to show you what He wants you to do and, whether you understand all the details or not, get moving. Goodbye Muffin Top!

Love,

Mama