Photo by Stephen Moldenhauer

“Don’t let compliments go to your head, and don’t let criticisms go to your heart. The degree to which you do either of these things is the degree to which you’ll be ruled by what other people think of you . . . we must rise above the chatter of the world, place our identities in the un-shifting grace of God, and keep our hearts turned to the reassuring whispers of Jesus.” Lysa TerKeurst

I don’t know about you, but when I first started the weight loss journey I didn’t tell anyone but those very closest to me–and I’m usually an open, vulnerable personality. But this seemed too scary, too deeply threatening, to admit to the general public that I was actually trying to lose weight.

I’d lost almost twenty pounds when my sweet daughter thought she was bragging on me to announce it on facebook! I wasn’t ready to tell, but once she put it out there, I laid it all bare.

Going public had its reward–more support than I ever dreamed! And I have been shocked when people tell me I’ve actually inspired them. That feels good. And let’s face it, when you’re public on Facebook, that’s a LOT of accountability, which can be motivating!

It’s also a lot of pressure. I don’t want to fail. I want to be honest with struggles, but I don’t want to be discouraging by sharing too much.

But the point is that no matter how public my journey has become I can’t let it become ABOUT the public face, the encouragement, or the embarrassments. It has to be about me and God and what we are doing, not about anyone else’s opinion or journey.

I know this will not come as any great shock to you but . . . I’m not perfect on this journey! And on “those” days I desperately need God’s grace and the “reassuring whispers of Jesus.” (I always need it; I just realize it more some days than others!)

When I remember WHOSE I am I can better face my personal short-comings as well as the critique of others. To God I am BELOVED, not because of my perfection or lack thereof, but because I am HIS. He created me for promise, not compromise, and He empowers me to move forward in all of life. Sometimes I do that in a big leap, sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back, but He loves me too much to leave me where I am.

That’s how He feels about YOU, too.

What about you? Have you admitted to others you’re trying to lose weight? Why or why not? How does it help you to remember Whose you are?

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Solid in Whose You Are

Tagged: connection of body and spirit, grace, losing weight, losing weight inside and out, spiritual connection, weight loss devotional