Consistent Focus

I Corin. 10:12
When I was learning to drive, my father taught me a valuable lesson.  It was simple, where my eyes were looking that is where my car would go.  So if I focused on the road ahead, my car would go there but if I spent to much time worrying and looking at the ditch, then my car would not fare very well.  This lesson fits well with the Christian walk; we need to focus on Christ and not on the obsacles.  There are so many times we can't remove obsacles but how many times are we the cause of the obsacles.  If we apply this to our eating; it is really hard to give into temptation and eat cookies if there are no cookies in the house.  I know this may seem impossible with small children or husbands in the house but they don't need it either.  It is easier to teach good eating habits when they are young rather than re-teach them later. 
Bailee, when she was little, would only drink juice; then one day I didn't buy juice anymore.  It was a tough few days but it didn't take long for her to realize there was no juice and she quit asking.
Heb. 12:1-2
Dr J. Vernon McGee tells us that Paul is encouraging us to get moving and don't drift along like a ship without a rudder.  A ship a drift will get no where fast for it has no focus.  Ironically enough for our topic of weight-loss we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin which ensnares us.  John MacArthur states when Paul talks of "the sin" it is the sin of unbelief. 
So, do we truly believe that God has our best in mind or do we feel that food is where we need to run for comfort and strength when the road gets tough.  It is this unbelief in God that slows us down in the Christian live.  We are to focus our eyes on Jesus and His example of finishing as He did with His death on the cross.  Knowing that we too will have the joy of completion when we stand before God in Heaven.
What we shouldn't focus on:
Romans 12:3 - In our persute of weight loss we want to maintain God's perspective which is often hard as we get wrapped up in the world's view of beauty.  WE SHOULD WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT TO HONOR GOD'S TEMPLE NOT TO BE PRIDEFUL OF THE CONDITION WE KEEP IT!  This is why it is so important to teach good eating habits now to our children to give them confidence inspite of what they will see in the world.  We will often focus on ourselves which brings attentionto us; even in a derogatory manner.  An example is when we say "Oh I shouldn't have had that piece of cake" and your friend says "You shouldn't worry you look great. or One piece of cake won't hurt."  We need to be ever vigilant.

How can I focus if I can't see the rode?
2 Tim 4:7-8
I think I am not the only one that would say "Ok fine I know I am to focus on the road as to run the race and not to focus on myself because it is truly about God BUT what happens when I can't see the road because the fog of trials is too thick, then what?"  I get it, we have all been there or are there. 
This is when we look at the step God has given right in front of us.  When I drive in the fog I get closterphobic if I look into the distance too long and then I start to panic.  So I focus just on the patch of road that is lit by my head lights in front of me.  Our challenges and trials in life can be like driving in fog and if we don't focus on the patch of road we can see and trust God to continue to light our path then we will run to our normal source of comfort which often is food, but please note running to anything or anyone but Christ will not give you rest.  We need to remember that sin creates consequences of its own these aren't the trials that Timothy is speaking.  So many times in my life I am dealing with self inflicted consequences of sin.  How can I ask God to give me strength to avoid ice cream if I am the one who keeps buying it at the store.
Matt. 11: 28-30; John 6:35-37
As believers we can rest in the sovereignty of God (I Corin 10:13).  Our battles are to make us stronger in our faith.  Focusing on God rather than food will ultimately bring victory over food.  Be Joseph this week and run from the food that tempts us just like Joseph ran from Potifer's wife.