Jeremiah 2:19
Your own sins will punish you, because it was a bitter mistake for you to reject me without fear of punishment. I, the LORD All-Powerful, have spoken.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
On TV’s “The Biggest Loser,” contestants sometimes make crazy choices. This is a game, so a contestant may weigh the pros and cons of choosing to participate in a “challenge” where the participants have to eat a lot of calorie-laden sweets to have a chance at “immunity.” Or… a contestant may deliberately attempt to keep from losing weight in an effort to “throw” the results of the weigh-in at the end of each show. In all cases, the trainers inevitably come back to these contestants with one question… “Was it worth it?”
Very seldom do these choices work out well. One contestant had a “extra weight” card that he could use any week he chose. This card would allow him to add pounds to his weight-loss total for the week, and it increased exponentially with each passing week. He opted not to use the card at a weigh-in, and his weight loss was not all that great. He could have used another 3-pound loss to stay in the game. As it was, he lost… and his fellow contestants voted him off and sent him home.
I know that “The Biggest Loser” is just a game… and these people are hoping to win up to $250,000 at the end of the season. But they are also risking their lives, in a sense, because these are morbidly obese people with serious health issues. Losing this weight could also mean the difference between life and death for them.
“But I’m not overweight,” you may be saying… “and I’m certainly not morbidly obese… what does this have to do with me?” We are no different from the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” when it comes to life decisions. We gamble every day with all sorts of choices that affect our relationship with God… choices that could have Eternal consequences.
Just like thinking we will eat cupcakes today and worry about the weight tomorrow, we decide we will “live for today,” and worry about our salvation later. We choose to “sow wild oats” and, in our mind, enjoy our life on our own terms, with little to no regard for the long-term effect on our lives, the lives of those around us… and our Eternal life.
The question of “The Biggest Loser” trainers applies to this situation, as well… “Was it worth it?” What are we thinking to turn our back on God for even one second? None of us are promised tomorrow… a second chance. Like the contestant on the show who gambled with his “bonus card” and lost, we risk losing something far more important… our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Let’s take a look at our lives today and see where we are “living outside the box” and excluding God in the process. Let’s ask God to show us where we need to make changes and better choices - and re-align ourselves with His plan. Let’s make sure we are “winners” where it really matters – not for $250,000 or the title of “The Biggest Loser” – but in the race to the cross, where we find the ultimate Prize… life everlasting with our Heavenly Father.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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