Rick Warren's Blog, page 663

God's Unlimited Resources Are Available to You

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2 NIV)

As you work to become Daniel Strong, stress will undoubtedly try to pull you away from your goals. The problems of everyday life often tempt us to make unhealthy choices out of convenience or as a temporary fix for handling stress.

But the truth is, problems will follow you the rest of your life. If you're waiting to deal with stress until you make it to a new stage in your life, you'll be waiting a long time!

Colossians 3:1-2 says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (NIV).

Stress is a choice. We get stressed out when we choose to focus on our own limited resources instead of focusing on the unlimited resources available through our heavenly Father.

You'll never get healthy by trying to overcome obstacles through your own willpower; it simply isn't strong enough. Focus on the fact that God is big enough to get you through any challenges you face in the Daniel Plan and for the rest of your life.

Talk It Over

What causes you the greatest stress? Why do you think that's so?

How do you think God may help in this situation? What keeps you from letting him help?

How can you keep yourself focused on Jesus rather than your daily stresses?

When It Comes to Healthful Foods, Use Your Head

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise." (Ephesians 5:15 NIV)

�

The Bible says, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15 NIV).

One of the things you're learning in your efforts to become Daniel Strong is that real change requires you to face the truth.

Behind every self-defeating behavior is a lie we believe, such as, "I can trust any food that is labeled 'healthy,' 'all natural,' 'diet,' or 'fat free.'"

Changing eating habits begins with developing discernment. If a food is labeled "healthy" but has 20 ingredients, 19 of which you can't pronounce, that label is lying. Educate yourself about what is truly healthful food, like fresh vegetables, lean meat, nuts, and fruit.

While it may seem confusing at first, it is really quite simple to eat healthy. Once you learn to recognize lying labels, you'll feel empowered to make the best choices for your body.

God wants you to "use your head - and heart! - to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right" (John 7:24 MSG).

Talk It Over

What changes do you and your family need to make so you can cultivate the habit of reading labels and seeking God's wisdom when it comes to your food choices?

�

What are some of the surprising things you've learned so far about lying labels?

�

Think about and talk about this statement with your small group: "I've come to look at this process as embracing healthy choices rather than denying myself" (Lysa TerKeurst).

Think Clearly About What You Eat

"'Test us for ten days,' he said. 'Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.' [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food." (Daniel 1:12-15 TEV)

When Daniel refused to become unclean by eating the food of King Nebuchadnezzar's court, he made a deal with the guard: "'Test us for ten days,' he said. 'Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.' [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food" (Daniel 1:12-15 TEV).

Daniel didn't just eat haphazardly, accepting whatever was placed in front of him. He was intentional about what he ate.

When you think clearly about what you eat, God empowers you to continue to make good choices. Clear thinking leads to self-control.

By thinking ahead of time, you can prepare so that you won't have a "food emergency." This enables you to eat healthful snacks that you packed ahead of time, and you won't crash in the afternoon because you ate a greasy fast-food lunch.

Instead, you'll be on top of your game, ready to do whatever it is that God calls you to do. Being mindful and conscious, thinking clearly, and exercising self-control, you can become Daniel Strong.

Talk It Over

Share three things you can do to think clearly and prepare in order to avoid a food emergency.

What time of day are you most likely to have a "food emergency"? How can you prepare for these times when you are vulnerable?

What changes do you notice in yourself when you practice mindful and intentional eating?

Commit to What's Best and Not Just What's Good

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2 NIV)����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Many of us believe we can multi-task without limits. However our brain isn't a computer; it can't run different programs simultaneously. When we think we are "multi-tasking," we are actually switching rapidly between tasks. Our attention is divided. That's why people crash their cars when they try to text and drive.

And it's why people crash in their journey to get healthy. Getting healthy the right way requires a relentless focus on God and his plan for healthy living. You must focus on what's most important and not allow yourself to get distracted by the trivial. If Satan can't get you to do wrong, he'll simply wear you out with a lot of good things. He'll get you over-committed to the good but not the best.

The Bible says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2 NIV).

As you make the commitment to get healthy, lay aside what doesn't matter so you can focus on Jesus and his plan for your body.

Talk It Over

What are the insignificant things that distract you from the people and things in your life to which God has called you?

What do you want to accomplish through the Daniel Plan? What motivates you?

By succeeding at the Daniel Plan, how will your life be different in five years?

To Be Healthy, Focus on Today

"Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11 NIV)

Matthew 6:11 says, "Give us today our daily bread" (NIV).

Notice the Bible doesn't say, "Give us today our weekly bread" or "Give us today our yearly bread."�

God wants you to trust him one day at a time. You don't need to be concerned about tomorrow until tomorrow. You don't need to be concerned about next week until next week.

This means you don't have to stress about all the future steps necessary to make you Daniel Strong. You just need to focus on what you need to do for today. You can focus on succeeding at the Daniel Plan one day at a time.

Jesus said, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34 NLT).

Talk It Over

What aspects of the Daniel Plan do you tend to worry about? Why do you think that is? How might this be related to trusting God?

Why do you think God wants you to take it one day at a time?

Make a list of all your concerns related to your Daniel Plan journey. Now trim the list down to only those things you need to deal with today. Share your concerns, and talk to God about them.

Stay Healthy By Accepting Others

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7 NIV)

God accepts us, despite our messy lives, impure motives, and irritating attitudes. One of the ways we reflect God's love and bring him glory is to accept each other just as he accepts us. This means we accept others' quirks and look past their faults in order to see a person created in the image of God.

To make the changes in your life that lead to health, you'll need the support of your Daniel Plan group or your small group. You can't get healthy on your own. To have that kind of critical support through your group, you'll need to accept one another unconditionally, just as Christ has accepted you unconditionally.

The Bible says, "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God" (Romans 15:7 NIV).

This acceptance makes your Daniel Plan group a safe environment, where people are not afraid to express their fears and doubts or talk about their struggles and where lasting change is facilitated.

Talk It Over

What are the events from your past that make it hard for you to believe God accepts you?

Why do you think people are more likely to change after, rather than before, they find acceptance?

What will be the hardest thing to share with your Daniel Plan group? Ask God to help you let down your walls so you can be vulnerable and transparent with your group.

Live God's Way: Exercise

"But what happens when we live God's way? .... We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way." (Galatians 5:22-23 MSG)

�

Think about this: God wouldn't have designed your body to need physical exercise and at the same time intend for exercise to be the most grueling, tedious thing you have to do.

God knows we're all shaped differently, so he provided a variety of physical activities we can take part in. There's an exercise out there for every one of us.

The best exercise is the one that you will actually do because you enjoy it. So what do you love? What sounds like fun? Ask God to show you what it is, and give it a try, even if it takes you out of your comfort zone.

Galatians 5:22 says, "But what happens when we live God's way? .... We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely" (MSG).

Here's a good place to start: Move toward joy. If you think of exercise as drudgery, as an "ought to" in your life, your motivation disappears. If you "direct your energies wisely" and do something you enjoy, something you "get to" do, you'll find that motivation just flows.

Talk It Over

What activities do you enjoy or did you once enjoy before you got too busy?

Share what comes to mind when you reflect on the phrase "Move toward joy."

What activity will you pursue today that will move you toward joy and health?

The Importance of Understanding God's Love

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NLT)

God loves you so much that he sent Jesus on a mission of love with a message of love. The Bible doesn't say God has love; it says God is love. Love is his nature; God is love.�

God created the entire universe. He created this planet; he created the human race. Then, he created you because he loves you.

It could be said the reason you're alive is because God created you as an object of his love. God made you so he could love you and so that you could love him. God's love for you is the reason your heart's beating right now; it's the reason you're breathing.�

God's good news is that he loves you on your good days as much as he loves you on your bad days. He loves you when you can feel his love, and he loves you when you can't seem to feel his love. He loves you regardless of whether or not you think you deserve his love.

There is nothing you can do that will make God stop loving you. You could try, but you simply can't do it - because his love for you is based upon his character and not on anything you do or say or feel.

God loves you so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, into this world, "so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NLT).

When Jesus stretched his arms out as wide as the cross, he was saying, "I love you this much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I'll die for you so that I won't have to live without you."�

God's love surpasses all human knowledge, and it is difficult for any of us to grasp the width and length and height and depth of God's love for each one of us (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Talk It Over

What one thing have you done that you have difficulty believing God loves you in spite of?

How important do you think it is to understand God's love, especially on your bad or rough days?

Jesus Paid For Everything You Ever Did Wrong

"Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness." (Ephesians 1:7 GWT)

There have been a lot of great religious teachers throughout history. They've all had good things to say, but what makes Jesus different from every other religious teacher throughout history is the fact that he died and rose again.�

That's of critical importance, because it's not the life of Jesus that saves you. It's not the teachings of Jesus that save you. It's his death and Resurrection that open the door for your salvation.

The Bible says we've all blown it. We've all made mistakes. None of us is perfect. That's pretty obvious! I don't measure up to my own standards, much less God's. We have all sinned.�

The Bible also says that justice demands punishment. If you do the crime, you pay the time. If you break God's laws, you pay God's penalty and, according to the Bible, "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 NLT).

In other words, somebody has to pay for all the things you've done wrong in life. And this is where God says, "I'll do it!" He steps up to the plate. Jesus Christ is sent to Earth - God in human form - and he says, in effect, "I will pay for your sins."�

Here's the good news: Everything you've ever done wrong, everything you're ever going to do wrong, things you haven't even thought of yet - all those sins have already been paid for by Jesus Christ as he died on the cross: "Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness" (Ephesians 1:7 GWT).

When Jesus died on the cross for you, it showed two things:�

It showed how much your forgiveness cost. The highest price you can pay for anything is to give your life for it. And that's what Jesus did. Grace is free, but it is not cheap



It shows how much God values you. It shows how much you matter to God. Jesus died for you on the cross.

How much are you worth? Jesus says, with his arms stretched out on the cross, "I'm willing to die for you, because you mean this much to me." You may think that you're worthless because of things you've done wrong. But Jesus says, "No. You're priceless. And I'm willing to give my life in order to pay for your sins."

Talk It Over

In what ways are you still making yourself pay for your sins, even when Jesus has already covered them with his death and Resurrection?

How Big Are God's Hands?

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hands." (John 10:28-29 NIV)

When I was growing up, one of the things that impressed me about my dad was his big hands. I have big hands now, but my dad had huge hands! When he would do carpentry, the hammer just looked so small in his hands.

My heavenly Father has really big hands. He's got the whole world in his hands!

How big are God's hands?

God's hands are big enough to bless you. Jesus often touched people in order to bless them. He would lay his hands on people and bless them. He does the same for you. Isaiah 62:3 says, "The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see - a splendid crown in the hand of God" (NLT).

God's hands are scarred to never forget you. In Heaven, the only scars will be on Jesus. Do you think God can forget you? He has a constant reminder in his nail-scarred hands. The Bible says, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV)

God's hands are strong enough to keep you eternally secure. John 10:28-29 says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hands" (NIV).

Once you put your life in God's hands, nobody can snatch you out. You may wonder, "Can't you just jump out?" How big do you think God's hands are? You're never going to get to the edge of his hands. Every aspect of your life is in his hands.

When my kids were little, I used to stand at the edge of the pool in the water and say, "Trust me. Jump to me." They were always afraid. Is he strong enough to catch me? Are his hands slippery? What happens if he doesn't catch me? But finally they would get up enough faith to jump into my arms, and of course I would catch them. Then they'd want to do it a hundred more times!

Your Father is waiting for you to jump today. He's saying, "Trust me. I can be trusted. I'm working behind the scenes. And I can handle anything you give me." Don't you want God's hand to be on your life? Don't you want your life to be in God's hands? You can trust him with your life and your future.

Talk It Over

What big problem or circumstance in your life have you been reluctant to hand over to God?

How have you seen God provide for you and take care of you in the past?