One thing that has surprised me about getting older is the near impossibility of losing weight. About ten years ago, I made a lifestyle change that helped me lose 35 pounds. Ten years later, I thought that if I reimplemented that same plan, the weight would fall off again. Not so. In fact, what every diet change seems to do is become the new normal. My body will not lose weight, but if I go back to the way I ate before, I will then gain more weight. It has been a frustrating cycle that I am sure many of you can identify with.
From some research, it seems the cause is insulin resistance. As you consume more calories than your body can burn, microdroplets of fat build up in your muscles. Think of it as a beautifully marbled steak. Good for steak; bad for your muscles. The microdroplets of fat block the insulin needed to feed your muscles, so the insulin is redirected into fat storage, increasing what you don’t want—more fat. Without some intentional change, your muscles cannot increase, thus making your metabolism lower with each passing year. I am making some of those intentional changes, but that is not really the point of this blog post.
Much like our physical muscles can get clogged with unwanted debris that prevents them from growing, so can spiritual muscles. When seasonal depression outlasts the season, there may be something clogging the spiritual muscles. When church attendance becomes a chore instead of a joy, there may be something clogging the spiritual muscles. When Bible reading and prayer become a box to check, rather than spiritual food, there may be something clogging the spiritual muscles. Just as intentional changes must be implemented to address insulin resistance, so too must we look for what is causing the spiritual resistance we occasionally encounter.
One of the first things to check is your forgiveness meter. On the surface, you might dismiss this idea. Of course, I have forgiven everyone who has offended me…I just don’t want to go to that Bible study anymore. I don’t enjoy being around those people anymore. I no longer want to work in that ministry. And somehow, God allowed these hurts to take place, so now He no longer seems like a safe place to run to for counsel and relationship. Unforgiveness clogs spiritual muscles, making life heavy. You were not meant to run with such heavy burdens.
When Jesus ended His model prayer with forgiveness, He knew it would be as much a need for us as the daily bread He included. In fact, He brought up forgiveness twice within the six verses of prayer instruction.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:9-15.
An intentional way to deal with offenses and slights is to bring each face up in your mind, say directly to that face, “I forgive you because Jesus has forgiven me,” and then not allow their offense to have any more free rent space in your head. When you see that person in everyday life, immediately consider Jesus nailing their sin to His cross, just like He did yours. Whether you tell the person about it or not depends on the situation. Often, offenses are not worth confronting unless they keep happening. Then, Biblical confrontation and reconciliation are in order, according to Matthew 18:15-20.
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Ultimately, Jesus’s plan for His followers is unity and love for one another. Love covers a multitude of sins. However, this does not excuse anyone participating in blatant sin. Paul addresses these kinds of issues in 1 Corinthians 5. Sin should never be covered up to protect the sinner. If God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5), then His church should be a place of light that harbors no darkness either. This is why Biblical confrontation and restoration are vital in the church and in Christian relationships.
As we mature in our Christian faith, we can grow healthier, or we can get stale and ineffective. How we forgive others makes all the difference. Let’s get rid of any extra unforgiveness that might be slowing us down in our race, and keep pressing toward the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ!
If this post resonated with you, I would love it if you would share it with someone. I pray that it will be a help and a blessing to someone today. Also, if you enjoy my writing, you may enjoy my new 30-day devotional available on Amazon. The link is posted below. Have a blessed day, my friends!
His Song in the Night 