physical weight (the healthy way); how-
ever, there are unhealthy ways we feed
our spirit and end up with the “fat” of
useless emotional baggage.
2. Guilt. This is one of those things that
trap many of us. When we do some-
thing wrong, we shrink and slouch
under guilt, because we haven’t
accepted forgiveness for and deliver-
ance from those things.
3. Shame. Shame goes hand in hand
with number two. Once we realize and
accept accountability for the error of
our ways, it’s sometimes hard to pick
ourselves up and move forward. We
are embarrassed, ashamed. Feelings of
shame gain momentum as more and
more people are made privy to our
indiscretions. Incidentally, the way we
react to our own faults can often deter-
mine how other people react to us. If
we exhibit overwhelming shame and
embarrassment, then we perpetuate a
behavior that can be copied by others.
Acknowledge your behavior. Make
steps to change it. Walk with your head
up and the knowledge that you are on
your way to better, just because you
were able to recognize your stumbling
block and avoid it moving forward.
4. The old man. Every day we should
be exposing ourselves to and learn-
ing something new. The new mercies
we experience every day should affect
change in our lives. So, honestly we
shouldn’t be getting older everyday (at
least not emotionally or psychologically
OR spiritually); instead we should be
becoming newer every day. The old sis-
ter we were should reveal some newness
each day.
5. Self. Yep, I said it. You should lose
yourself. We are all guilty of being
caught up in the wonderful world of
“ME.” No matter what or who you
believe in, self-centered-ness does not
make a happy life. I’ve said it many
times, humans are relational beings.
We are not designed to isolate ourselves
from everyone else. We need each other.
We need God to direct how we interact
with each other. In order to do it right,
to love others right, to keep a right atti-
tude, to walk in a broader purpose, we
must lose ourselves in God.
Now, those aren’t the only losses we
should examine taking. There are always
commitments, people, situations, acts of
ser vice, etc. we may need to lose; however,
those things fall under more specific
subtopics for number 1, weight. Still it’s a
start. Re-examine your life to see if you have
anything to lose.
DiAnne Malone is a book author, college
professor and founder of Who’s That Lady Blog.
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