Lose 10 Pounds in a Week

All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. Philippians 4:22

Many of those who’ve struggled with addiction are prone to extremes. I’m no different. I just don’t naturally do moderation very well. If I decide I’m going to eat healthy and lose weight, I shoot for losing 10 pounds in a week. If I have a cheat day, I go overboard, gaining six of those pounds back. Like I said – prone to extremes.

When I found recovery and began journaling, I imagined one day writing a blog and a book. It wasn’t enough just to help the guy next to me. I wanted to save the world and I saw printed media as a vessel to do that. I’m not saying the book and blog were bad things. I’m just saying that in part, they were born out of my extreme nature. Fortunately, God can use even my flaws for his purpose.

Over the last couple of years though, I’ve slowly been learning and relearning that I don’t have to save the world. I’m not responsible for that. What I am responsible for, is to do what I can, with what I have, to affect the lives of those whom God has put in my path. I can’t save anyone. If I’m a Christian though, I must love my neighbor and I must do what I can to show Christ’s love to those with whom I come in contact every day.

In today’s passage, Paul wrote (from a Roman prison) his parting words of greeting to the Philippians. In the passage, he specifically mentioned the Christians in Caesar’s household. When Paul was arrested and his missionary journeys came to a halt, I think he’d have felt that his ministry was over. Not Paul though. He just kept on sharing the gospel with anyone God put in his path. The effect was that many of those working for the very government which imprisoned him, came to faith in Christ. Paul remained obedient, no matter where he was.

Daily, if we’re willing to be obedient, we can affect the lives of those around us in a thousand different ways. A kind word. An encouraging text. Offering our help. Praying. Sharing our story. Whatever it is, if we’re willing, we can choose to invest in those whom God has put in our path. We don’t have to save the world. We don’t have to save anybody. That’s not our job. Our job is simply to be obedient, loving those around us. We’re to reflect God’s love, truth, and grace in our little corner of the world, then, we simply leave the results up to him.