-Dr. CarolMarie
Some of us cringe when we hear "Step on the scale". I don't know about you, but I hold my breath during those weighing moments. I don't want to add another ounce of weight to that number by taking in a breath of air. Waiting to exhale. Makes sense? Of course not. A habit that I got into years ago when the numbers on the scale started to go up.
The last doctor's checkup was a pleasant surprise when the total poundage was less by three pounds. Yes! I'll take it. Give me a minute to enjoy. Then I hear that small voice interrupting the celebration going on in my mind, "Have you lost spiritual weight"? What? "How can I lose spiritual weight." The Lord went on to say, "You need to be at your best boxing weight". Ahhhh, now I get it. I need to be light on my feet as a Kingdom warrior.
What stops the "light on our feet" spiritual boxing moves? Negativity comes to mind. Our physical and spiritual frames were built to carry Matthew 11:30. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." We were not made to walk under the heavy weight of negativity. Decisions made from negative emotions usually result in negative consequences, keeping us captive under the weight. The Lord, in His goodness, gave us an example of David's wisdom in knowing that he couldn't trust decisions made from negative emotions. Samuel 30:6 "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul (mind, will & emotion) of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; BUT David encouraged himself in The Lord His God".
We don't always recognize negativity in our words because they can be a habit formed over a lifetime. I was surprised when I decided, after The Lord suggested, to be in tune or listen for negativity that I was speaking. It was everywhere. A constant influence on my thoughts and actions resulting in a lack of actions. How do I stop walking under the weight of negative thoughts and emotions? How do I break free of a lifetime struggle with going to the negative and not the positive?
The Lord showed me a picture of a young student writing on the chalkboard, line after line, the sentence, "I will not talk during class". Some of you are not old enough to remember the days of punishment by writing "I will not talk during class" a hundred or more times on the chalkboard. The number of times written usually increased with each violation. If my memory serves me correctly; I was no more than twice at the board. Sometimes accuracy can change with the passage of time.
I can see now that this type of punishment was an ingenious way of sending messages and planting seeds in the young pupil. The teacher was trying to impress on the pupil that he/she wanted them to benefit from listening to the knowledge being offered in the classroom while, at the same time, weeding out the negative and planting the positive. Hopefully, the lesson would serve the pupil for a lifetime. Doesn't this sound like our Lord and Savior.
I believe one lesson The Lord was showing me through that picture of a student writing on the chalkboard was to respect the position of The Lord as teacher. He knows what He's talking about. (John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing by himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also". The "talking in class" represented that I'm speaking my own words (negativity) that come from leaning on my own understanding (emotions). I saw the biggest lesson being REPETITION.
We can start speaking positive words over ourselves, children, dog, cat, fish, plants, bank account, car. We can create a pleasant, positive environment where negativity cannot survive. I like to play lively Hebrew praise and worship music to set a "I want to get up and dance" atmosphere. Leave Christian music playing in your home while you are gone to keep the positive atmosphere set.
Let's go to the gym for a workout in cycling! A recycling of our negative thoughts and words into positive, positive, positive!!! Sweat that negativity out of your system through repetition. Work toward the goal of being at your premium boxing weight.
The color of being light on your feet will look fabulous on you!!
-Lisa Antone