Spiritual Lessons from Nutrisystem

You've seen the commercials on TV. " 'Mary' lost 57 pounds on Nutrisystem!" Then they show lots of before and after pictures of "Mary." She's so happy now that she's lost all that weight. Before, she was unhappy, unhealthy, people didn't like her, she didn't feel good about herself, and so on. But now she's happier than she's ever been, she's able to do things she never could do before, people think she's the life of the party. She loves the way she looks and feels now and she never wants to go back to the way she was before. One of the commercials even has the client talking about herself as a different person before she lost the weight, and saying, "You'll never see that person again" (referring to a picture of her before she lost weight).

Well let's go two completely different directions here.

First, I hate those commercials. I know it's not healthy to be overweight; but how shallow are we when we start thinking the way these commercials tell us to think. That woman on the commercial thinks she was a different person when she was fat? Really?? American culture frowns on prejudice and discrimination. Or does it? When it comes to race, gender, religion (other than Christianity), and (sadly) sexual orientation, we're told that prejudice and discrimination are abominable. But apparently it's OK to be prejudiced against fat people. You can make fun of them, you can make them pay extra for airline tickets, you can treat them like dirt--all because they are fat.

But all people are valuable in God's eyes (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Jesus died for everyone (John 3:16). Just like the children's song says, "Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight." It wouldn't make for very good poetry, but maybe we should add "skinny and fat" to that song somewhere. If losing a lot of weight makes someone a "new person" I'm not sure I would be interested in getting to know the "new person." What counts the most is what a person is like on the inside. It is the heart of a person that matters, and the person whose heart has been cleansed by Jesus' blood (Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:22) is acceptable in God's sight, and therefore ought to be acceptable in ours as well. If that person's heart is not right with God, God still loves him and we should, too. Jesus told us to preach the gospel to him (Mark 16:15-16). We do that because we love him; and we love him because God loves him.

Second, the Nutrisystem commercials illustrate a positive thing for us. Even though I don't like the way they present themselves, I do like the illustration their attitude provides. These people have seen a drastic change take place in their lives. That change is so great that they see themselves as different people now. They enjoy the change so much that they are determined never to go back to the way they were before.

Isn't this the way Christians ought to view the change that has taken place in their lives? Paul talked about putting off the "old man" and putting on the "new man" (Ephesians 4:22-24). In Christ, we truly are a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do we have the same joy over the change that has taken place as the Nutrisystem clients seem to have over their change? Do we see the same drastic differences in lifestyle and direction as those people do? Are we as determined to maintain the change and never go back as those people are? We should be. Sin holds nothing for anyone, except death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8). But in Christ we have all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). We have an abundant life (John 10:10). We have the hope of Heaven (John 14:6).

If we're talking about physical life, let's not be as shallow as some of the Nutrisystem success stories seem to be. Regardless of physical appearance, every person is precious in the sight of God and therefore ought to be precious to us as well. But if we're talking about spiritual life, let's try to develop the same passion for the new, better life we have in Christ, along with the same determination not to go back to the way we were before, like we see illustrated in those weight loss success stories.

Some People Just Have to Be Recognized

You know the kind of people they are: always pointing out the good things they do, and getting their feelings hurt if no one notices or makes a fuss over them. Take my friend, Bob McEachern, for example. I don't know how many times he has said something to me about giving him credit on here for taking the picture of me and Jan that appears on the blog. OK, Bob, here you go. You took a great picture (considering half the subject matter, anyway). Seriously, though, I'm only kidding Bob, and he's the kind of person who both knows that and can take the kidding. Truth be told, Bob is the exact opposite of the kind of person I'm talking about. He will gladly sacrifice himself to help out other people and never seek, expect, or want any kind of public recognition.

But there are plenty of people who want the recognition. Why is that? It's a problem with "self." When "self" becomes too important in a person's life, all kinds of problems emerge. Seeking recognition for what they do is only one of them. Jesus talked about people who made a big commotion to call attention to themselves whenever they did some charitable deed (Matthew 6:1-4). Their motivation was to receive glory from men. Now think about the dynamics of this. They performed some charitable deed. That would obviously help someone who needed the help. But the kindness and aid given to someone in need wasn't significant enough to them to satisfy them. This act also should have brought glory to God. After all, God was the One responsible for their ability to give in the first place, and He was the One who taught about the giving nature of true love. But not even this was significant enough for them. Why? Because "self" was more important than the needy, and even more important to them than God.

This is the problem with seeking recognition. It shows that we think we are more significant in the grand scheme of things even than God! This kind of thinking causes us to undervalue everything everyone else does (even including God) and to overvalue everything we do. This person might as well just come out and say, "Since I'm so important, what I do must be worthy of recognition."

Maybe this little exercise will help us to put ourselves in perspective. Anytime you are tempted to think people ought to recognize you for something you did, try to see your good deeds in light of life as a whole. "I bought some food for a hungry family," someone might say. OK, that's great; but what's going to happen when that food runs out, and how many other hungry families are there in the world that you could not buy food for? Another might say, "I spent an afternoon repairing some things on a widow's house." Again, that's wonderful; but think of all the other people in similar situations that you were not able to assist. "I had a home Bible study with someone." Terrific! But are you the only person in the world trying to save the lost? What about the billions of people in the world who are still in sin?

The point of this is not take away from the importance and significance of doing good works. These kinds of things are wonderful and we need more people who are willing to do them. But our attitude toward doing them needs to be right. Jesus said, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’ " (Luke 17:10). We do what we do in service to the Lord because we are servants and that's what the Lord expects of us. If we want to please our Master then we will gladly serve Him by doing good, whether other people recognize us for it or not.

On Being Sick

You may have noticed that a few days went by without anything new on the blog. That's because I've been sick. Yes, I caught whatever bug this is that's going around here. I hate being sick like this. The general aches and tiredness that come with fever, the coughing, the sore throat, the congestion, the runny nose, waking up throughout the night either drenched in sweat or shivering with chills: it all gets old quick and you're ready for it to be gone long before it goes away. So what do you do? You go to the doctor. He may give you a shot and prescribe some medicine to take, and you wait for all of that to work. Meanwhile, you gradually try to work your way back to some semblence of a normal day's routine. But then even though you're starting to feel better, you still run out of energy about as soon as you get started doing anything. It just takes time and patience.

Now I'm not fishing for any sympathy here, I'm just setting up an object lesson for us. Physical sickness is obvious and we generally do something to address it; but what about spiritual sickness? There are obvious symptoms of spiritual sickness: a dying prayer life, dwindling zeal for the work of the church, lack of interest in studying the Bible, giving in to temptation more and more, and so forth. When we see symptoms like these in our spiritual lives, how do we respond? We ought to respond in a similar way to the way we do with physical illness. Jesus alluded to Himself as a physician, when He said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Mark 2:17). Sin is the greatest sickness of all and Jesus is the only physician who can make us well. When we see symptoms of spiritual sickness in our lives, we need to turn to the Great Physician and seek the healing only He can give.

1 in 4 Teenage Girls

One out of four teenage American girls--that's something like 3.2 million. That's a lot of girls. So what do these teenage girls have in common? Well, according to a study released on March 11, one out of four teenage American girls have at least one sexually transmited disease. According to a news story on the website of the Boston Globe, the study tested its subjects for the 4 most common STD's. The study showed that of those infected, 15% had more than one disease. Because many of those infected showed no symptoms at the time of testing, many of those who have an STD do not even realize they have it and that they are passing it along to their sexual partners.

This information is both sad and alarming. One of the researchers said, "This means that far too many young women are at risk for the serious health effects of untreated STDs, including infertility and cervical cancer." Well, it is alarming that all of these girls are at risk for serious health issues. Having sex with multiple partners exposes a person to some serious health issues. When teenage girls and boys (the study didn't include boys, but obviously the same applies to them) have sex before marriage they put themselves at great risk that may affect them, their future spouses, and potentially their children. It is alarming that so many young girls are infected with STD's; but that is not the most alarming thing. Obviously, for a person to contract a sexually transmitted disease, he or she must be sexually active. The consequences of violating God's laws are serious. Physical disease is a problem, but the most alarming thing is to see how many young girls (and obviously boys as well) are sexually active. Society nearly forces sex on our kids at the youngest of ages. From sex ed classes in the earliest of grades to the sexually explicit movies and song lyrics that are popular today, kids' minds are being permeated with sex. And obviously the message is having its effect.

So what's the solution? According to a doctor from the CDC, "efforts must be made to improve screening, education, and other prevention strategies for sexually active teens." Do you see the problem in the thinking here? Do we need efforts to improve screening and education? Obviously so. But look at what he said in the last part of his assessment. We need efforts to improve prevention strategies for sexaully active teens. Call me simplistic in my thinking, but if teens are sexually active, they will be at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Do you want to know the best strategy for preventing teens from contracting sexually transmitted diseases? Teach them not to be sexually active. The logic is insurmountable. If teens don't have sex they won't get STD's.

But you see, there's the problem. No one in a position of influence and authority in this nation seems to want to teach kids that sex outside of marriage is wrong. Those who do try to promote this idea are ridiculed as being out of touch with reality. "Kids are going to have sex," we're told. Well of course they are going to have sex when all they see and hear is saturated with sexuality and then no one ever tells them it's wrong. Regardless of how unpopular it is, we have to get back to teaching our kids what is right and wrong about sex. There are much more serious consequences at stake than STD's.

What's In a Name?

We’ve all heard stories of people giving strange names to their children. Some of them are surely pure fiction. I’ve heard the story of the two children named “Orangejello” and “Lemonjello” (supposedly pronounced “o-RON-juh-lo” and “luh-MON-juh-lo”) many times, and, according to the reports, they have lived anywhere from Alabama to Michigan. Or the twins that were supposed to have been named “Male” and “Female” (pronounced “MAH-le and fe-MAH-le). And there are many other examples of these kinds of stories. Most, if not all of these are surely fictional.

But what about the true stories of unusual names. There is a professional football player whose mother believed when he was born that he would be without peer, so she named him Peerless. Florida Atlantic University gave a football scholarship to a young man named “Yourhighness Morgan” (plus I saw a couple of different places on the Internet where Yourhighness apparently has a brother named Handsome and a sister named Princess). Add to these the long list of odd names that some Hollywood celebrities have given to their children, such as: Bob Geldof, who named his children Fifi-Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom, and Little Pixie; or Nicholas Cage, who named his son Kal-El (which is the name Superman was given when he was born on the planet Krypton); or actress Shannyn Sossamon, who named her child (I don’t know whether it was a boy or a girl, sorry), Audio Science. Let’s face it; there are lots of people in this world who have been stuck with unusual names. Don’t you just want to ask, “What were those parents thinking?”

Our culture doesn’t place as much significance on the meaning of names as some other cultures have done.The names we’re most familiar with have meanings, but how many people really care what those meanings are? For example, according to babynames.com, the name “Kevin” is of Irish origin and means, “Handsome, beautiful” (I kid you not), but I doubt my parents knew that when they named me. I would imagine most people choose names for their children mainly because they like the sound of the name.

Because of this, maybe our culture misses the significance of the name we wear as God’s people. The name “Christian” is far from an empty label. It indicates that we are both a follower of Christ and that we belong to Christ. I believe it was God who chose the name “Christian” and first gave it to the disciples in Antioch (Acts 11:26; see also Isaiah 62:2). Peter said it was a name worth suffering for (1 Peter 4:16). Someone noted one time from the letters of the name “CHRISTIAN” that without CHRIST, I Am Nothing. The name “Christian” honors our Lord and identifies us as belonging to Him. What kind of effect does your life have on the name you wear? Does it help the cause of Christ when people hear that you are a Christian? Let’s never forget the glorious nature of the name we wear. Let’s always remember to do it honor by the way we live.

Signed, "Handsome, beautiful" Beard. Uhhh...maybe not.

Pessimism

Pessimism is defined: “an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome.” Lots of people take the pessimistic approach to life and it brings them misery.

Pessimism makes problems as bad as they can be: minor illnesses become life-threatening diseases; financial difficulties become financial ruin; a disagreement with a friend becomes a relationship-destroying catastrophe, and so on. We do have problems in life, but how often to those problems really end up being major issues in our lives?

Pessimism makes us assume the worst in unknown situations: a phone call late at night must be bad news; a message from the boss must mean I’m being fired. Many people burden themselves with anxiety over these kinds of situations even before they get all of the information.

Christians should try to throw off the shackles of pessimism. Living this way is not in harmony with the abundant life Jesus came to give to His followers (John 10:10). Actually, I think pessimism is nothing but a manifestation of fear. We are so afraid of the bad things that might happen that we allow those thoughts to consume us. Then we begin to see evidence of these terrible things all around us.

What is the answer, then? Paul said, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fearfulness is spiritually paralyzing. How can we face the devil’s attacks if we have a fearful attitude toward everything in life? How can we give an answer to those who ask if fear controls our thinking? How can we survive trials of faith if we assume the worst is always going to happen? No wonder the fearful are listed among those who will have a place in the second death (Revelation 21:8)!

John said, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). We have no need to be afraid of God when we are children of God. The more we realize this and come to love Him, the less we should be motivated by fear of Him. In the same way, the more we come to love God, the more we will trust God’s love for us. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, and so there is no need to be controlled by fear (Hebrews 13:5-6).

So let’s try to learn to love God and trust Him to keep His word. Yes, life will have plenty of setbacks for us; but God has promised to be with us, to strengthen us, and to help us overcome. The more we can trust in this, the less we should be controlled by pessimism.

Sin holds on tight

Scott Spiezio started his career in Major League Baseball with the Oakland A's in 1996. Though he was never a superstar, his career did include playing for World Series Champions with the Anaheim Angels in 2002 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. How many young baseball fans would love to have the opportunity to play in the majors for more than 10 years and win the World Series twice?

Though he was living the dream of many young men, Scott Spiezio had problems. He missed much of the 2007 season because of "substance abuse" issues. The Cardinals placed him on the Restricted List in August, while he went through an outpatient treatment program. He returned after his treatment and played fairly well for the rest of the season.

Spring Training this year brought hope for Mr. Spiezio, according to reports. He was said to have been looking and feeling great. Then, on Tuesday of this week, police in Irvine, CA issued a warrant for Spiezio's arrest. He was being accused of several alcohol-related crimes. The Cardinals released Spiezio from the team on Wednesday.

I don't know Scott Spiezio, so I don't know the circumstances of how he came to develop these problems or how seriously he was trying to conquer them. But I do know this. Scott Spiezio illustrates one of the most dangerous things about sin: it doesn't let go easily.

Some sins, like drug and alcohol abuse, add physical addictions to the equation. But all sin creates a hold on us that is often difficult to break. Sin results when we give in to our desires (James 1:14-15). We do what we want to do and because sin is pleasurable, it's hard to change. Solomon declared, "Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard" (Proverbs 13:15). The way of transgressors is hard for many reasons: it often brings bad consequences in this life, it always brings bad consequences in the life to come, and it latches on to us and holds on tight.

Reasonable people can look at sin and see easily that it just is not worth it. Why risk the potential difficulties in this life and the certain destruction in the life to come for temporary pleasure that cannot fulfill? But when we get involved in sin, reason often leaves the picture. The pleasure of sin keeps a strong hold on us that is often very difficult to break. So, people continue to make the same mistakes. Whether it is because of physical addictions or not, it's hard to break the habit of sin.

But breaking that habit is possible and necessary. When we become children of God a change must take place. John said, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9, ESV). In His parable of the sower, Jesus said, "...the seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). To be God's child, we must make God's Word a part of our lives. That word guides us and helps keep us from sin (Psalm 119:105, 11). If we keep on sinning, we show that God's Word really isn't living in us and therefore, we're really not living like children of God are supposed to live.

Scott Spiezio's story is a sad one. But maybe we can learn from it how dangerous all sin is.