You know the funny thing about a diet? Me neither.
No but seriously: Usually a person loses the most weight in the first few weeks, and after that, if he doesn’t stick with it he will not only gain his weight back, but sometimes gain even more weight. So again I say: There is nothing funny about a diet.
In order for a diet to work, a person has to have discipline and a desire to see himself in a better condition. In other words, you can’t just go into a diet hoping to lose weight for a few months. Because you will…then a few more months will pass and if you don’t stick with it, you’ll be even more of a whale than you were before. No, if you want to lose weight you have to tell yourself that the new you (whatever size it is) is the permanent you.
The same can be said of the new convert. When a person becomes a Christian by obeying the Gospel he is essentially going on a diet from a life of sin.
Just like a diet, when a person first begins his life as a Christian, he usually has that great feeling of spiritual excitement. You know that feeling; that great spiritual high right after you become a Christian. You feel like you can “save the world.” That feeling usually lasts about 3-6 months, at which time the new convert will experience some heavy temptation to return to the (sometimes easier) way of sinful living.
Just like a diet, if you go back to the old ways it will end up costing you more than what you are willing to pay. Remember the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7)? Sometimes a man will reap not just what he sows, but more than he sows.
It can also be the case that others will reap as well. Consider the impact that we have on those younger than us, especially in the spiritual realm. Young people by their nature look up to those who are older. When a young person sees someone obey the Gospel and live a good Christian life, he will be influenced to follow suit. But, when a new convert falls away, that could tell a young person that it is too hard to be a Christian and that he should not even try.
Just like a physical diet, keeping a healthy spiritual diet takes work. It seems easy at first, but then it takes effort to stick with it. But remember that you are not in it alone, and remember that you are influencing others around you.
Something else that is true about a diet. When you are on it, you have to eat something. Common sense says it’s better to eat something good than nothing at all. Also a little exercise is good when you are on a diet (they say). So what should be on the menu for the new convert? How about a healthy dose of the bread of life. If you eat that every day then you are sure to have the energy to exercise.
And what about the exercise? Recall the words of Paul, when he described the Christian life as running a race:
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,
Hebrews 12:1
If we lay off the sinful sweets, eat right, and daily run the race, and then we will find ourselves spiritually fit for heaven.
Have a great day!
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