First Impressions
Proverbs 26:15 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
MATTHREW HENRY'S COMMENTS: Those that are slothful in religion, will not be at the pains to feed their souls with the bread of life, nor to fetch in promised blessings by prayer.
MY OBSERVATIONS: A person who meets you for the first time, within twenty seconds forms an opinion of you. What is the first impression based on? More than likely outward appearances. It is a proven fact that overweight people are discriminated against when it comes to landing jobs. The impression of an overweight person has always been that they are lazy. Even our passage in Proverbs today conjures up an unfavorable image of the lazy burying his hand in a dish of food. As Christians we are to be ambassadors for Christ Jesus. Yes, by word and deed, but how about appearances also? Shouldn't our outward appearance match our spirituality? Do we cause someone to stumble because of our size? I don't know if we can say that or not, but as I represent the Kingdom of God, I want it to be with favorable first impression.
Father God, forgive me for thinking my body was strictly my own to do what I pleased with it. I want others to see Jesus in me, but they are also looking for outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit's strength in my life. Help me, once for all, line up my talk with my walk. Amen
NIV: Proverb 26:3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
My Observations: I really appreciate this particular proverb. It reminds me of exactly why I am under the constraints of food restrictions now. I was given such freedom and choice that in four years time I had gained 77 pounds. I thought the older we got, the wiser we were suppose to become? Now, I need the wisdom of the Word, the help of other dieters, and a diet plan to use as a whip, a halter and a rod! I am back into the control of the Lord's plan for me, but I now need to willingly have restraint and constraint placed upon me.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the knowledge that I can no longer walk on my own to my own destruction. Your Word says that You chasten those that You love, and I accept the chastening that the Word has given me. I praise You for discipline in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
Today's Diet Tip: -26 Too often, we eat without noticing or appreciating the food. Think about your last meal. Can you recall if you enjoyed it? Can you recall it at all? Simply being inattentive to what you eat does not translate into eating less. A healthy alternative is to do what we call eating "mindfully," paying careful attention to what we eat.
Today's Positive Thought: You only get out of life what you give it, so give it your all!
