Just Do This...

Good Friday morning to you! I was reading a health blog/newsletter I receive regularly and felt my usual irritation at the ‘just do this ____’ and all is well in your world. First of all, living a healthy lifestyle is more complex that checking off a list of ‘just do this…’ I like a lot of the suggestions; they are practical and healthy alternatives to John Q. Public’s normal eating practices. Confused by the contradiction in my statements? I didn’t say it wasn’t good advice. My irritation stems from the daily barrage of ‘just do this…’ as an instant life changer. No one could follow or even keep up with all the suggestions without some form of never-ending checklist.

Some people think there is a To-Do list with being a Christian, too. Most might prefer a simple list of ‘things’ to follow that promises you’ll feel better and all will be well in your world. A Spiritual Checklist, if you will.

JUST DO THIS…

Pray….check. Attend Church Sunday Morning….check. Give to the Widows and Orphans Fund….check. Read Bible….check.

All good practices but not a guarantee to spiritual well-being if your approach is to simply get through the list of To-Do’s. Healthy lifestyle, like Spiritual well-being, is a mindset, a way of living and doing on purpose those things that foster a healthy body and/or spirit. It is choosing with wisdom, rather than our fleshly desires. It is looking for the option that promotes wellness (physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and relational) over instant gratification.  It’s a ‘big picture’ mentality, not a minute by minute ‘I want it and I want it NOW’ attitude.

We don’t get unhealthy and overweight over night, yet we want an instant fix to do away with the end result. Spiritually, we are no different. We live a life of sin and self-indulgence but do not want to face the consequences of our choices. Forgiveness is a grace issue, not an ‘anti-consequences device’ we point at our poor choices and push the big red button (just do this…) and they disappear. 

Self-disciple is a mindset we must weave into our every choice and decision. When it becomes a lifestyle, it no longer seems so cumbersome. We automatically choose fruit over cheesecake or uplifting movies over cinematic trash. We seek ways to show love and appreciation to others over fretting that our needs aren’t being catered to all the time. We find love and acceptance in healthy relationships over food – trust me, that second helping of mashed potatoes will not respect you in the morning. 

Interestingly enough, the more we emulate the lifestyle of Jesus, the more we are in line with healthy living and spiritual well-being. Maybe there is a ‘just do this…’ after all.