Right Behind God

In working with hundreds of men and women over the past eight years who have a goal of losing weight and living healthy, the biggest challenge for most to overcome has little to do with knowing what to eat and when to exercise.  Interestingly, the biggest challenge for most is realizing that God wants to be involved in their health and wellness journey and He is capable of having a major impact if He is allowed access.
The story about Jonathan and his armor bearer paint a wonderful analogy of what it looks like to realize that God wants what’s best for us and is capable of seeing it through.  1 Samuel 14:6 states, “Perhaps the Lord will work for us.  For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”  In other words, it doesn't matter who is coming against you or tempting you; with God on your side nothing is impossible. 
However, there is a catch.  “Of course there is,” you say, but hear me out.  In order for God to be fighting for you, it is imperative that you are close enough to hear His orders.  1 Samuel 14:13 tells us,  “And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armor bearer behind him; and they (the enemy) fell before Jonathan.”  With Jonathan going up first, the battle was over even before it started.  The same is true for us if we stand where we are told; right behind God.  Too often, we get ahead of Him in our haste to fix a situation, or too far behind when fear and anxiety take hold of us and freeze us in our tracks. 
 God knows as well as you and I do that struggles in weight loss or any other area of our lives can grip us to the point that we have no motivation or will to fight.  Not to mention the impact on our self-esteem and the guilt we experience when we “fail.”  Struggling with weight loss (much like any other struggle) more than anything is about learning to trust and believe that God can and wants to fight for you in the battle.
The next time your stronghold begins to take hold of your life, remember; in order to hear God you must remain close to Him.  And, just like when you want to shield and protect your child from something that might be too great for them to handle, the safest place to be is “right behind God.”