My Great Aunt Elizabeth used to say: "You either eat to live or live to eat". Almost all of my life I have lived to eat, but should have lived according to the first part of her motto. I wonder; Is it really possible to do both at once? Honestly, since I have been on weight-watchers, the answer is a qualified "YES"!!! And the rub in all this is I can take SOME of the things that I love (but not too much) while at the same time eating what is necessary for health. As long as I keep things in perspective... I do just fine. In general, living ones life is like being on weight-watchers: first do the things God wants you to do and ask God for the things you want. Why? Because life only makes sense to me if God is the master of my life and I am NOT ruled by WHAT I WANT TO DO...
Matthew, Chapter 6
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. 25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Like the choice of how we shape our eating (see the graphic above), how we live our lives is a reflection of choices as well. If you decide to go your own way, do your own thing- that is fine with me. However, if you are looking for something better out of life, then this Bible passage will take on new meaning for you. Choose wisely. And don't examine the graphic too closely; if you decide to anyway- then notice that they added some extra "goodies" to the pyramid portion of the hat. I can loose the soda and the booze, but just looking at that ice-cream makes me drool. Today would have to be weigh-in, wouldn't it?