motive, so to speak.
The Bible gives us a number of examples of men and women who did
extraordinary things (whether for good or evil) in order to fulfill a purpose
or reach a goal. Jacob, for instance, worked 14 years for the deceitful Laban
in order to marry the woman of his dreams (see Gen. 29). He had a motive
(espousing the lovely Rachel), which served to motivate him to work an extra
seven years to accomplish his objective. It is human nature to operate with a
purpose and not wander about aimlessly. The majority of things we set out to
accomplish are done with a motive. This is how the Lord created us, and this
attribute of mankind extends to every aspect of our living and influences our
spiritual as well as our physical lives.
It applies even to weight loss. Most people who set out to lose weight
have a specific motive for doing so. Maybe the class reunion is fast
approaching and you're determined to be only 10 pounds heavier than when you
graduated, not 50. Or you may have booked a Caribbean cruise and simply refuse
to slip on a bathing suit without first firming up and slimming down.
Is there a wedding coming up? How about a family portrait? Whatever the
case may be, all too often our motivation for losing weight is simply the
desire to change our outward appearance.
But remember Proverbs 31:30 tells us "charm is deceptive, and
beauty is fleeting" (NIV). So if your objective for losing weight is only
to enhance your looks, please take my advice: reconsider your motive.
Vanity Is Not a Virtue
Don't misunderstand me—there is nothing wrong with wanting to look
good. After all, Queen Esther received a year's worth of beauty treatments
before going into the royal chambers to visit the king (Esth.