I am a part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life. John 15:1, 5, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. (5)I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
I have been a fan of the Biggest Loser since the show came out a number of years ago. My wife has gotten on the bandwagon over the last few years when she purchased a few of the exercise videos. She has lost about 20 pounds and is getting buff. She made it a priority in her life. In doing so, she did it consistently and her confidence became more evident as she began to improve and see results. As I reflect upon my wife’s story, as well as the stories of many that were on the show one thing is a reoccurring theme and that is commitment. There came a point when no matter what they moved from just wanting change to making it happen. There came a point when talk had to become action, and they became solely committed to see change in their lives. Whether it cost them time, money, or wants they were committed to live healthy and lose weight.
In two of my favorite passages of the Bible, John 15:1, and 5 Jesus uses a very practical example. He explains his role as the vine and the father being the gardener. The Gardener is monitoring growth in our lives. Jesus the vine says, you are the branch. Remain in me and you will be fruitful. He is our resource for growth, health and success. He is our personal trainer that wants us to be truly all we can be. The catch in all of this is commitment. Commitment to train in Bible Study, commitment to a prayer life style and a commitment to action. The promise Jesus gives us is this, “they will be fruitful”, “there will be results”.
The Battle of The Bulge has always been a point of contention within our country. Every day we are confronted with the realities of obesity and its consequences. The infomercials are ran multiples times a day, the methods of weight loss flood the airwaves. Pills, surgeries, dance, aerobic, stair climbing, biking and list goes on and on. Commitment, going from knowing what the problem is to action is the key. It is the key to physical freedom. Committing to spiritual disciplines is just as vital as physical ones. Jesus is committed relationally to see us succeed. All we have to do is commit to train. The Training may be hard at times, but it will be worth it. “No pain, No gain!” Remember, you are a part of the true vine, a part of Christ.
Comments