If I polled my list of readers regarding their idea of health and wellness – I’d be willing to bet quite a load of money that most of them would say something about their weight being a priority in this area of their life. Most of us absolutely connect our weight with our wellness. And for good reason. We equate the number on the scale to many things in our life. We are obsessed with the number that represents our weight, and while it is important – it is not the most important.

In my time as a health coach I’ve come to see the truth in this statement:

The weight we need to lose is most likely not on our bodies.

Let me explain:

We are infatuated with the physical. Why? Because we live and breathe in a physical world where things are tangible and quantified. The world we live in, this physical world, is bound by time and space – it is temporal and fleeting. We innately know this, so we grasp at anything possible to bring us hope of making this temporal physical life last forever.

We cling to the hope of lowering or controlling the number on the scale to prove to our physical world that if we lose this weight, these pounds we carry – we will be free.

But what happens when the number on the scale doesn’t move? Or what happens when the number on the scale moves in the direction we expected – but we are still bound? Perhaps the weight we need to lose really isn’t on our bodies. Perhaps the weights that bind us are deep within – taking hold of our soul, our spirit and our emotions – manifesting themselves in the physical world as physical ailments. Ailments which we can see and feel such as pounds, hair loss, eczema, diabetic sores, headaches, rapid heart rates, infections, tense muscles, sickness, blurred vision and on and on and on. This physical world that we are so infatuated with is actually pointing us inward. The temporal pointing to the eternal – always.

Listen, lean in, get curious and take note.

What if we started paying attention to our inner voice. The one that we hush. The one that is looking out for our eternal fulfillment – the Spirit of Christ within us. What are we afraid of? Why do we silence the voice of truth – the voice giving us words of life and of wellness.

I dare say – It’s fear – and it’s heavy.

Fear of what we might find if we are curious enough to look in those places we keep hidden.
Fear of failure.
Fear of how inadequate we are to rid ourselves of these weights we’ve carried for so long.
Fear of being vulnerable.
And possibly even fear of Freedom.

If you find yourself in an unending cycle of yo-yo dieting, symptom diagnosing and emotional breakdowns. If you keep saying ” I can’t live like this any longer”.

I emplore you to be still.

The scale, the gym and the supplements are only a piece of our puzzle.

The real work comes when we lay aside the internal weights that bind us.

Rejection.
Perfection.
Religion.
Unforgiveness.
Pride.
Jealousy.

We are infected. We are diseased. We are run down, worn out and we need a Saviour.

our wellness lies in the work of jesus christ, Friend.

What once was dead now lives again.
He is making all things new.
He is bringing light to our dark places.
He dismisses our fear and replaces it with His love.
He is the victor to our defeat, the healing to our sickness and the fulfillment of every desire we crave.

John 8:36 tells us “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Cling to this promise, friend!

We stand with Paul and declare in Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

And perhaps the greatest calling ever is the voice of Jesus as he beckons us in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The weight we long to lose is not seen to our physical eye. Our souls long to rest and abide at the feet of our Maker. What joy when we come to know this freedom!

So keep going to the gym. Keep listening to your body when it tells you what it needs to be nourished. Go for walks in nature. Pump out those endorphins. Drink your green smoothies and dose up on your daily vitamins. But know that our true fulfillment lies inside. And when soul and spirit is at peace – our bodies will follow – we will find the wellness we are looking for.

So today let’s take a moment to breathe and rest in the words of our Savior. May we open the doors of our heart and submit to the work of the One who makes all things new. May we lay aside those weights that trap us and keep us bound. And together let us run to the arms of our Savior – He is waiting to make us new – from the inside out.

If you are looking for another way – look inside – the answer has always been there.

True wellness comes from within, friend.