His Love is Relational
There's a funny quote floating around the internet that says something like “Mother Teresa didn't worry about having a thigh gap because she had stuff to do”. As silly as this may sound, it draws us to consider a good point: Mother Teresa was so determined, so focused, and so in love with God and His purpose for her life that she didn't stop and think about how she looked. She cared about her relationships with people.
Now, if you're reading this and you're a woman, then you can probably relate to caring deeply about relationships. It's said that women care more about their relationships than anything else. If you've ever observed two women out to eat you will probably notice that most of their conversion will revolve around relationships.
Every personality test I've ever taken had the same conclusion: I care about relationships, and I care about people. And it's no accident - it's wired in me. God made me that way.
Look at the character of God in the New Testament - He became human because he wanted to be relational. Jesus was extremely relational in his time on the earth ; He spent time with his disciples, eating meals with them, waking with them, talking with them.
Just like Jesus wasn't concerned and commanded us not to be concerned about money, he was also not concerned about what he would eat or drink, or wear. He, of course, didn’t care if he had a thigh gap or if anyone around him did. He was focused on saving souls.
Being single minded in pursuit of your relationship with God means you aren't standing around thinking about your thigh gap. It means not obsessing about food, weight, or exercise.
I always think of the story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to visit them, Martha was concerned that Mary wasn't doing enough - that she wasn’t serving him - while Martha was probably how we act when we have a dinner party (running around, preparing food, wiping down countertops, washing dishes, etc). What Jesus basically told Martha was that she had too many goals. Martha needed to be in single pursuit of Jesus.
I am not saying it's not good to have goals. If you have goals to run a 5k or eat more vegetables this year, or cook more meals at home, that is great! Just check your heart first. Is that goal coming before your relationships, including your relationship with God? It’s ok to order pizza in sometimes if that means you’re less stressed around your family and you get to spend more time with them at the end of a busy day. Ask yourself these questions: “will this bring out the best in me?” and “what would God think about this goal?”
I know this seems a little dramatic, but consider this: Do you know people who are so motivated by their goals that their relationships come second?
He desires close relationship with you. What's keeping you from being in closer relationship with him? Can you skip your morning gym work out and spend time with Him? Is there a sin that clings close to you? That comparison game you're playing will only push you further and further away. Is the struggle to say on your diet making you think about food nonstop? Friends! This isn't kingdom living! You've been called for a greater purpose. And the creator of the universe is inviting you into a deep, intimate relationship with Him! The question is, do you have too many goals to pursue it?
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Nicole resides in the East Bay Area where she works in private practice as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She is a Mom of two and serves alongside her beloved husband in their local church. Most recently she's devoted her time to cleft and craniofacial awareness, education and interventions when her second daughter was unexpectedly diagnosed with a cleft palate at one week old. She completed both her bachelor's degree and her dietetic internship at California State University, Chico, where she was also a NCAA cross country and track athlete. Through those experiences, God prompted her to help people of all shapes and sizes discover health, body peace and acceptance through the unconditional love of Jesus. Nicole most enjoys spending time around a table and eating delicious food with the people she loves.
