"Fit-Bit" for my Heart

Two weeks of fevers, chills and body aches, followed by severe joint pain from head to toe landed me in my physician's office in tears.  Three straight days of call-in's at work and my kids helping me up and down stairs was no fun.  Blood tests for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis were scary enough for me to start researching foods to help eliminate joint pain and inflammation.  Thankfully, the tests were negative and I was only diagnosed with a virus, but for a couple of days I spent a considerable amount of time researching foods and talking with people who were health fanatics and knew about this stuff!  One thing was for sure - I had to eliminate this pain.

A few days after I began feeling better I had a "surge" of energy, cleaned the house from top to bottom, and hit the gym.  An hour on the bike followed by 30 minutes of swimming had me feeling so good!  In fact, I had not felt this good in a long time, which made me wonder if I had that virus for a while longer than I realized!

My next move was purchasing a "Fit-Bit" and emptying my refrigerator of all bread.  For those of you who know me well, you know how difficult giving up my nightly "toast" habit is.  And, you know I often begin diets, get discouraged, and fail, over and over and over.  But apparently, PAIN motivates Rita - Even more than seeing photos of myself and getting disgusted at the weight I have packed on over the years.  

So now, I log every bite I take into my phone, and my little Fit-Bit bracelet records all of my steps.  At the end of the day, I know how much I have "taken in" versus how much I have "burned."  I know if I have failed, or succeeded.  And I'm watching the scale and the mirror, and have been oh, so careful about what I consume.  So careful...    Because after all, my physical health matters - and so does my appearance, right ? Yes, it does.  I find myself now as consumed by my fit-bit app as I am with my iphone.  In the past 10 days or so, I have become very aware and very concerned about my physical health.

But wait.  Something ELSE matters too, and I would argue that it matters more.

Tomorrow is the first day back to this year's Bible study, and just like an elementary school girl, I can't wait to see my friends.  It's been months, and we all agree, the summer has been too long.  We've all fallen into the habit of getting too busy doing other things and not spending enough time in the Word.  Oh, and we feel it.  Every one of us.  We know exactly what is missing, and we know exactly how to cure it.  You see, when you fall into the habit of putting everything in your life FIRST, before spending time with Him - whether that be in His Word, or in prayer, or in quiet time to hear His Voice, you feel spiritually empty.  Just like eating unhealthy food, coupled with no exercise, can make you feel lethargic - A believer knows when they have not spent time with God, because a believer "feels it."

Don't get me wrong - I DO believe it is very important to stay in shape physically.  Goodness, I want to be around to enjoy my grandchildren!  And I do want to be healthy.  But it donned on me this week as I spent a lot of time shopping for healthy food and researching all of the right and wrong foods to eat, that I need to be just as concerned, arguably more concerned, about the health of my soul.

Luke 16:15 states, "He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.  What people value highly is detestable in God's sight."

The world has so many "fixes" for us.  All you have to do is watch 30 minutes of any television channels and you find out where to get Botox to rid yourself of a wrinkle on your forehead, get a push-up bra so the entire world thinks that age and the effects of gravity that come with it has somehow spared you.  You can have plastic surgery to fix what you find unacceptable or less than perfect on your body.  We are so concerned about what is on the outside of us.  We are so concerned with what others think.

We wash and dry and curl our hair, get highlights and low lights, we pluck our eyebrows, apply our make-up perfectly, and find just the right outfit.  We whiten our teeth and choose the prettiest of colognes.  We are so concerned about our physical appearance.  We are so concerned about the outside - the part that the "world" sees.  

But what about the inside? What if we had a Fit-Bit to record the spiritual fitness of our hearts?

 I feel so convicted about this as I write.  Again, don't get me wrong.  I'm glad something has finally motivated me to begin a healthier lifestyle.  But I know I have been less concerned about the appearance of my heart to God, than I have been about the appearance of what other's see on the outside.  If what other people value is really detestable in God's sight, and if God really knows my heart, then the health of my heart and soul need to be of greater priority than anything. That means a little work-out for my heart is in need.  

Every one of us has a heart that will be one day judged by God, whether we choose in this life to believe that or not.  And the state of our hearts needs to be above all else, our most important goal.  

So again - What if I had a Fit-Bit for my heart?  What would I record for food?  Did I spend time in His Word?  Did I spend time in prayer?  Is my heart full of bitterness and unforgivness that are being carried from the day-to-day log from one day to the next, as if expending all of my available calories?  Seriously - What IF we could record the state of our hearts?  You see - God can, and He does.  

What would my heart's Fit-Bit read today??    Only God knows.  And He DOES know.