A Pound Of Light

Written By Amy

They are still coming, commercials and advertisements about losing weight.  I actually like it, it inspires me, even if I’m not going to sign up for Jenny Craig this afternoon.  I can always improve my health, in fact I have started a new work out routine that I am really enjoying (to share in an upcoming post), and watching “The Biggest Loser” and seeing commercials about health reminds me of my goals of becoming a better physical me.

But the bible doesn’t focus much on the physical me, instead, God’s word is almost entirely focused on the spiritual me.  The spiritual me is directly related to the physical me, however. When I am healthy and not overly-focused on my weight or aches and pains, I can focus on being a light to others.

Have you been distracted by your physical self?  It is so easy to do in our culture.  We become so inwardly focused and entirely distracted if we don’t look the way we want. We wake up happy and ready to take on the day, only to be emotionally dislodged by the numbers on the scale.  When I was in college I struggled with an eating disorder.   I was completely and utterly distracted by the emotional and physical food battles I was having.  That internal war kept me from focusing on others, on being completely present and open to hearing God’s whisper in my ear about how he wanted me to be a light for him.  That was over twenty years ago, and I have since learned how to have a healthy relationship with food.  But there are still times that I get frustrated about how my clothes fit, or the new wrinkles appearing on my 41-year-old face.  It is during those times that I try to shift my focus to God.  Knowing that my body will weaken as it ages, but the power of being a light for Jesus in world can only grow stronger.

“You are a light of the world  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

God asks us to share the love he has put in our hearts.  He wants to shine out of us, into the world that we touch each day…our friends, neighbors, at work, and even in line at the grocery store.  Let’s not hide our lamp under a bowl because we are too distracted with ourselves. If we are balanced and healthy (not perfect!) with our physical selves, our spiritual selves can be the strongest, brightest part of us.  Let’s tip the scales with pounds of light!