Joel M Bradshaw

9How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.–Psalm 119

I am traveling on a weight-loss journey right now. Since last October I have lost 45 pounds. My first goal was to lose 50, and I am thankful that I am almost there. But those who know me best recognize that my healthy adventure will not stop there.

I was intentional about how the journey started. I was at a man camp hosted by my church with about 200 other men. At the closing gathering, men were walking up to the microphone to state how the weekend impacted them. I stated that by the next man camp (so October 2022) I will have lost 50 pounds.

The crowd cheered and I got a lot of high fives. But it was an intentional moment. I knew what I was doing. I would see many of those men throughout the coming year and they would all remember me at the microphone. How was I doing? What had I lost? Did I look different? Was I actually pursuing what I promised? I had upwards of 200 men providing public and private accountability to my journey. It was possibly the smartest thing I had ever done.

Weight loss requires intentionality with everything you put into your body. I use a fitness tracking app on my phone. Each meal, snack, and beverage is manually updated. I track macronutrient levels as well as calories. The app also keeps record of the number of steps I walk throughout the day. My goal right now is to reach 5000 steps each day. I know more would be better, but that goal is reachable and sustainable. Two more great intentional keywords.

The psalmist was tired of his impure life. He wanted to pursue purity. So what were his intentional steps?

1. HE NEEDED TO GUARD HIS LIFE. He knew that he had to man up and intentionally use the Bible to direct his path. To give him both encouragement and especially boundaries. There were no doubt things he needed to start and things he needed to stop. He needed to trust the Author and put to intentional use the Scripture.
2. HE NEEDED TO NOT WAVER OR WANDER. His whole heart and commitment needed to be dedicated. He wasn’t going to take cheat days or entertain excuses. It was going to intentionally take all of him every day to reach his goal. No days or seasons off. No excuses.
3. HE WENT TO WORK ON HIS INSIDE. The man started memorizing Scripture. He put tools in his toolbox. He stocked his quiver full of arrows. He sharpened that metaphorical sword. He realized that if he was to have any victory on his journey, he needed to be able to draw upon the powerful Word of God on a daily basis and at a moment’s notice. He needed to change his self-talk to the commands and promises of the Bible. That new story would then intentionally alter his thinking which would influence his feelings. Motivations would follow.

Set reachable and attainable goals. Have accountability. Stay intentional with each decision as little investments towards those goals. Put in the work. Change your self-talk from excuses and rationalizations to commitment and motivation. Trust God every step of the way. It’s kept me on my weight-loss path. When I run into the man camp guys, they can’t believe how I look and they all are asking me, “Wow, what’s your number!?” It’s a good feeling. Those conversations keep me motivated and are good reminders to stay intentional.

I don’t know what your goals are. But intentionality is the key. Hopefully this devotion gave you come steps to take on your inside that affect decisions on your outside.–JMB