Daily Devotion Hebrews 12:1-2

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2

Coming to you fresh from the high of 4 days of vacation Bible school, where the theme for the week was 'The Race to the Cross,' I thought I would talk about the race to the cross.  There's a lot of stuff going on in these two little verses.  First of all, you have to lay aside the weight that drags you down.  What's dragging you down, spiritually, that is?  What stops you from being the best person you can be.  Now, of course, I'm not talking about some self-help, you-can-be-a-winner type of "best person."  I'm talking about how you can be changed into the person that God has planned for you to be.  You see, God loves us.  I really don't know why, but He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.  That alone should spur you on to do amazing things for Him.  But, He also wants us to have life more abundantly.  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. - John 10:10  God has a plan for you, for all of us.  When we are walking in His will and obeying Him, we are following out that plan He has for us, toward a life more abundant.  But, here comes the second part of the verse:  looking unto Jesus.  Here's a quote from Matthew Henry's commentary on the Bible:  What our Lord Jesus is to his people: he is the author and finisher of their faith—the beginning, perfecter, and rewarder of it. [1.] He is the author of their faith; not only the object, but the author. He is the great leader and precedent of our faith, he trusted in God; he is the purchaser of the Spirit of faith, the publisher of the rule of faith, the efficient cause of the grace of faith, and in all respects the author of our faith. [2.] He is the finisher of our faith; he is the fulfiller and the fulfilling of all scripture-promises and prophecies; he is the perfecter of the canon of scripture; he is the finisher of grace, and of the work of faith with power in the souls of his people; and he is the judge and the rewarder of their faith; he determines who they are that reach the mark, and from him, and in him, they have the prize.  Don't take your eyes off of Jesus.  Remember Peter in the boat?  He had the power of God to walk on water, but as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, he started to sink.  How often do we sink ourselves because we lose faith and take our eyes off of Jesus?
How does this translate into eating right and losing weight?  I guess you could say it's a pretty simple pill to swallow.  Keep looking at Jesus.  There will be times when that piece of chocolate cake is calling your name.  Look to Jesus.  There will be times when you're just too tired to exercise.  Look to Jesus.  There will be times when you're bored and lonely and sad and a big bowl of icecream sounds like the perfect solution.  Look to Jesus.  Maybe it sounds too simplistic to you.  You may be saying, "Millions of people all over the world are trying to lose weight and you say that all I have to do is look to Jesus?"  Well, yes.  So far, I've been doing this for 3 weeks and, praise God, I've lost 10 pounds.  It's a drop in the bucket to what I want to lose, but it's going in the right direction.  I have chronic epstein barr virus, which on a good day is tiring.  On a bad day I hardly can get out of bed.  God has given me the strength and energy to do at least 30 minutes of exercising each day.  Sometimes I actually do up to one hour of good hard sweating exercises.  It's all been God.  I'm not following a special diet of any sort.  I'm eating healthier and making better choices because I'm keeping my eyes on Jesus and striving to honor Him in my eating.  I fast on a regular basis (about once a week) because that keeps me focused on Jesus.  Nothing shows you your need for Christ more than fasting does.  I'm training my mind and body to look to Christ.  Each thing I eat and each exercise I do, I'm looking to Jesus.  Each time I don't think can do another minute of exercise, I look to Jesus.  Look, I've tried a lot of different things to lose weight, from exercise programs to diet programs and I've never been successful.  This is working because I'm not doing it in my own strength.  It's all God.