Recently, the person with the most speeding tickets took the notes for a breakout
group. To clarify, I raised my hand and
asked, "Over what period?" The laugh from
everyone was larger than I expected. It seems every time you set a limit for me, I
want to exceed it.
We are placing ourselves in harm’s way when
we exceed limits set to protect. My
battle to maintain my weight comes with a daily review of Calories
In vs Calories Out. I have tracked my
food and exercise almost daily for seven years. I focus on living within my energy limit.
Several
studies show people keeping food diaries are more successful in losing weight
and keeping it off. One study says that people keeping a food diary six days a week lost about two
times as much weight as those who keep food journals one day a week or less. Any time I take a break from tracking, thinking
I must know my limits by now, I gain weight. The scale shows me when I am exceeding my healthy limit.
I lost most of my weight using the paper First Place 4 Health Live It Tracker. I switched to an electronic tracker when I was closing in on my goal. I currently
use, MyFitnessPal configured as a Live It Tracker.
See my blog post Change
your MyfitnessPal to look like a Live It Tracker for more information.
Paul
writes in Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved“ A transgression is violating a law, command, or moral code, to offend, sin, and go beyond the limits. I don’t like
the word transgressions. It reminds me
that I am not the rule follower I claim.
Each time we go over the limit, any limit we are offending, sinning.
All of us exceed the limits, offend, and at times become spiritually dead when we are not following God's plan for our life. Thankfully, grace
saves us. Christ makes us alive. It is a gift from God. We can do nothing. We cannot boast about anything. Ultimately, to be saved we must accept this gift.
Each day I start and end
with a CHAT with the Lord. C =
Confess; Lord forgive me for what I have done today… sometimes the list is
way too long. H = Honor; Heavenly
Father, you are my Lord and Savior. A =
Ask; Help me Lord to know you, to know the limits, to sense your will, and
courage to obey. T = Thank you for the
blessings and gift of grace. You astound
me by your patience and love.
Amen.
Your turn:
Where are you struggling with limits in your life?
What accountability can you put in place to help you live within the limits?
Practice:
CHAT
C = Confess
H = Honor
A = Ask
T = Thank
