All in Moderation

Aristotle once said, "It is better to rise from life as from a banquet--neither thirsty nor drunken." The problem   in ole Ari's philosophy here is that today, when people go to a banquet (party, buffet, Sunday afternoon lunch, fill in the blank with an appropriate place where food is being served)--they don't stop at being simply satisfied. Typically, we leave too full, too drunk, too this or too that. There's a common phrase people often use about this word: moderation. Everything is fine in moderation.

When you've watched ABC Family for far too long and it stretches into the wee hours of the early morning, you will most often find yourself watching a long line of infomercials. A few nights ago I found myself in this place, watching yet another long segment about the new product and newest weight loss craze--SENSA. Sensa is a (fill in the blank with your own word because I don't understand how it works either) that you sprinkle on top of whatever food you are eating. And BOOM. You start shedding those unwanted lb's. One lady on there is recorded saying, "I can still eat whatever I want! I just sprinkle Sensa on before I eat and the weight comes off after!"

I am always shocked at this infomercial and by this product. Not only does it shock me that you can lose weight by sprinkling on a fill in the blank to your favorite foods, but that people who have done this say you literally don't have to change a thing about how you eat.

Over a year ago I started Weight Watchers to lose a few unwanted pounds I had gained over the previous year. I'm a mere 5 foot 5 inches tall with the type of frame that every extra pound gained is very obvious to the naked eye. I have always struggled with my weight being up and down so I decided it was time to not just lose weight really but to learn about a better way of eating. So with a friend seeking to do the same thing, we turned to Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers basically gives everything you could possibly consume a point value. Everybody gets a certain amount of points a day they can eat on (with bonuses and extra workout points and things like that). My first shock of course was looking up all of my favorite meals and realizing that by eating most of them for one meal I would then have to starve myself the rest of the day. The first couple of days was brutal. I was so hard on myself and would not use any extra points than necessary. I had not acquired a taste for the fruits or veggies (that are 0 points to eat) and we had not been grocery shopping to find some things we could eat. Needless to say by the end of the first night I thought I was starving to death and I was ready to strangle the nice lady at the WW counter who told me this would be super fun and so great for my life!

However, after getting the right tools, creating some new habits, and being disciplined and focused everyday I managed to lose total about 12 pounds (and I am not kidding when I say 6 of those pounds were in the first week).

Following Jesus is a lot like my Weight Watchers journey. There's a moment something clicks within you and you know you need a radical life change (this was my first recognizable encounter with Christ--as well as that moment  I stepped on the scale and saw what the numbers had to show, YEESH). Unlike the lady at the Weight Watchers counter who sold me this packet of information and promising me a fun journey, Jesus never sold me something to buy into--He just invited me to come if I wanted to. And He certainly didn't promise me it would be fun, in fact most of the time He warns us of its' difficulty--dying to your flesh, selling off all you own, giving up everything sort of difficulty.

By trusting Him, focusing daily on His promises, creating better habits, and being disciplined and staying on track with the things we know we should or shouldn't be doing--it becomes the only journey you want to be on. The most beautiful one in my opinion.

So what about this SENSA craze? And those crazies out there saying "Hey man if you do it in moderation it won't hurt!" I wonder if drinking alcohol in moderation hurt the alcoholic? Or if watching porn in moderation doesn't destroy a man's family. I wonder if only occasionally murdering someone--murdering in moderation--is just fine for our souls and God doesn't mind at all. No. I am certain He minds very much.

We can sprinkle all the SENSA, all the bull, onto our decisions all day long--whatever it takes to allow us one more bite of what's tempting us right? And as long as we only do it every now and then, it won't hurt us at all. Hmm...

I wonder if before we made our decisions in life we asked ourselves, "Am I sprinkling SENSA on this in attempt to make whatever it is I am about to do, not hurt my soul or my life so much?" or "Am I convincing myself that if I just do this in moderation it will be just fine and not affect me or those around me?" Being honest with ourselves is what it will take, as well as having someone we are accountable to and for. Because the Lord already knows---it's most often ourselves that we try to deceive.

So I challenge you (and me too!)--go through your life and your decisions, asking yourself those questions. If you find yourself saying, yes I am a SENSA sprinkler or YES I am attempting to do this in moderation--then stop yourself from going down that road. And find some new discipline, some new focus, some new habits--and watch those unwanted pounds of drama, garbage, and stress of life come right off!

In Him,
Meg