You may know this guy – he’s trying to lose weight; he exercises a few times a week and is trying to eat a little healthier. As time goes on and months pass, he begins to realize he’s not losing much weight and decides to start exercising four times a week instead of three. Because of his increased exercise, he’s more hungry and starts eating a little more. Again, weeks and months pass, and because he is still not losing weight, he intensifies his workout regime to five times a week. Yes – as you guessed, he is more hungry and is now eating more than ever, and success continues to elude him.

Does this sound familiar? What’s the problem? He doesn’t have all the facts! Exercise alone will not cause a person to conquer those unwanted extra inches; what they need is a complete lifestyle change that includes a new way of eating, a new way of thinking, and, yes – exercise. 

It’s interesting how much this parallels Christianity. Many think that they can go to church, read their Bible or pray once in a while and they will be successful as a Christian. Unfortunately, this is not true! Successful Christianity happens when there is a complete lifestyle change. A halfhearted diet and exercise program doesn’t produce the kind of results most are looking for, and so it is with God!

Those who choose God as their reason for living will find true success chasing them! Any person who will completely entrust the entirety of their life to the master trainer, Jesus Christ, will experience not only victory but a piece of heaven on earth! Consider these words of Jesus:

Mark 8:35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  NLT

Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

God wants you to prosper more than you want it for yourself! He knows that true prosperity (the life of truly loving being you) can only be experienced in Him. The more you receive His love for you and trust in His provision for your right standing with Him, the more you will step into the abundant life He longs for you to have!

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. KJV

Yes! God wants you to love being you! He wants you to experience life on a heavenly level! Just as losing weight and being physically fit needs a complete lifestyle change, experiencing the abundant, rewarding life of heaven requires complete trust in God and unconditional surrender to His provision for your right standing with Him through Jesus. Graphic disappointment will always be the result of trying to hang on to what this world has to offer, but the extraordinary life of heaven awaits those who are willing to lose their life for Christ and his kingdom! Oh, yes!…

This Is Where True Life Begins