Three Secret Ingredients to a Health Transformation
True health journeys must begin with WHY. "Why" is deeper than "what." "What" implies a finish line: a goal, once reached and celebrated, is often abandoned or forgotten (examples: a target weight, a body fat percentage, a jean size).
WHY is PURPOSE.
Why accepts that there are goals along the way, but it doesn’t seek a finish line. Beginning a health journey armed with WHY (rather than seeking "what"), accepts that challenges lie ahead and embraces the truth that anything worth having takes time and effort. WHY seeks complete transformation; it is not satisfied by superficial changes that produce temporary results. WHY acknowledges that true health is a lifelong journey. WHY understands that the journey will be hard. WHY is humble and seeks the support of a community. Having COMMUNITY, FELLOWSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP surround you, uplift you, push you, catch you, hold you accountable and walk alongside you, will not only make your health journey more joy-filled, but will ensure that you stay on your path.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”
COMMUNITY
What is COMMUNITY? The definition of community is simple: a group of people who share common attitudes, interests, and goals. Community is your solid foundation. It is a place where we find others with whom we can relate. Within our community, we share a purpose, we find others who share our WHY. We are bound together by a common goal. However, a truly healthy community must foster acts of fellowship. Let that sink in. Acts of fellowship. What is that?
“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. ”
FELLOWSHIP
If community is a group of people with a shared purpose, then fellowship is the connection to and the willingness to serve others within the community. Community puts us into proximity with other like-minded individuals, but fellowship is the choice to connect with one another, to serve one another.
Fellowship is the cement that holds a community together. Fellowship, when it is good, causes us to look outward and be selfless (when it is True fellowship it causes us to look up). We are designed to be in connection with one another. We are designed to care for and serve others. When we serve something larger than ourselves, we thrive. Why? When we pour into and serve others, the natural outcome is others pouring into and serving us. The natural consequence of good, connected, and selfless fellowship is relationship.
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched. And one who waters will himself be watered.”
RELATIONSHIP
Community brings us together. Fellowship is connection, a calling to pour into and serve others. Relationship is that which binds us together and sustains us through challenges.
Relationship is trust: trusting others to truly know you and to allow them to pour into you when your cup runs dry. In relationship, we not only encourage but are encouraged. We not only provide motivation and inspiration but find ourselves motivated and inspired. Relationship is vital to our basic well-being because every single one of us will falter and stumble. Every single one of us will wander. Every single one of us will forget our WHY, losing sight of our purpose, when the journey is tough. Relationship is where we allow others to hold us accountable, gently correct and redirect us. Relationship brings others alongside us to lift us when we falter, fill us when we are empty and keep us going on our journey when we lose sight of our purpose.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ”
Beginning a health journey is quite easy because most of us seek WHAT and settle for temporary change and fleeting results. True health transformation seeks something deeper and requires something more than easy; it asks you to embrace effort and to acknowledge challenges and setbacks.
To truly transform, you must begin with WHY and then accept that your health is a lifelong journey. To make your health journey joy-filled, surround yourself with a community. A community that is based in fellowship where you can strengthen, inspire and encourage others. A place where you build relationships and find yourself surrounded by others who remind you that HARD doesn’t mean impossible and will lift you when you falter. A place that fuels our WHY and strengthens our resolve.
For a fortunate few, community, fellowship and relationship are already well-established pieces of your life. If this is you then you have already found your community of like-minded people working towards a common purpose. You participate in regular fellowship and have built strong, supportive and lasting relationships.
But for others, and I would argue this applies to the vast majority, finding a community to support you in your health transformation is easier said than done. Now I'm not implying that you don't have a community at all, but rather finding a community that shares the specific purpose of achieving lifelong health transformation (NOT short-term results) is a rarity. To choose a patient process over instant gratification is to go against cultural norms.
We, Alex and I, have a solution for you.
Coming to Amazon this April: Break Through: 6 Weeks to Demolish Diet Culture Strongholds
Features:
6 Fuel Your Body Habits: based on God’s good plan
6 Feed Your Soul Habits: the full armor of God
At the King’s Table: A weekly Bible study to walk in community and build each other up in the Word.
Exclusive access to the Facebook community group
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