So, I missed a day in
the office last week and, when I came back, I was informed the troops had
organized a pretty elaborate weight loss contest, complete with a small
admission fee and prize for the ‘biggest loser.’ Some thought I might be upset
since I spent last summer on my own weight loss journey with a good amount of
success. Au contraire! I am not upset! I am thrilled for some accountability to
get back on track after a season of holiday candy and second helpings.
How do you feel about accountability? Does it encourage you
and push you to do better, or do you feel like someone’s always looking over
your shoulder, just waiting for you to fail? Whether in weight loss, daily
devotions, or life-changing decisions, accountability can be what keeps many of
us on track … helping us with perspective: immediate gratification vs.
long-term satisfaction.
In her chapter titled “Friends Don’t Let Friends Eat Before
Thinking” in Made to Crave, Lysa
Terkeurst writes that one her most effective accountability measures is
mutually tracking progress with friends (41). She tells about specific friends
who have helped her in specific ways on her wellness journey. I’ve got a few
friends like that. No, they don’t slap my hand when I reach for potato chips or
king cake but they do offer encouragement and praise when they see me making
progress toward my long-term goals.
Do you have any friends like that? I hope so but, if not,
maybe I can help. I’m not in the match-making business but a lot of what I do
as Coordinator of Women’s Programs is in an attempt to connect women with other
women on the NOBTS campus. By offering a weekly Bible study/book club … by facilitating
opportunities for intentional interactions … by practicing what I preach … it is
my prayer that you do not find yourself alone on this leg of your life journey.
Instead, I hope that as you reach out, you are finding other women who love God
passionately and desire to share their walk at levels of both comfort and
challenge.
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