Biggest Loser, Summer, and Sin
Yesterday I watched Biggest Loser for the first time. The show starts out with a number of contestants who live on this ranch and endure physical training as well as diet modification to lose the most weight. The contest was at week 18 and down to 4 contestants. This week’s challenge the contestants had to go home for a month, then they would come back and do a weigh-in. All the contestants expressed worries about going home. They would be going back to old habits and old temptations. They would have to take what they learned at the ranch and be able to apply in their normal daily life. They were worried if they could keep up the exercise and healthy eating.
It reminded me about summer break. Many people develop good spiritual habits here at school. They have CFC to help them be accountable with their devotions. They have prayer meetings to attend that help them develop a prayer life. But many leave with the worry of maintaining such discipline when they go back home. Will they wake up early to pray and read the Bible? Will they maintain the same schedule or will they fall back into old habits and old sins? The familiar temptations return, whether places, people, or events.
In the show, the contestants were intentional about getting to the gym and watching their diets. They struggled but kept fighting. They had to be vigorous in keeping their guard up. They were also paid a visit by their trainer on the show. It helped to have the accountability of someone there to push them.
In the same way, we need to be on the watch. We always need to keep our guard up in our fight with sin wherever we go. The temptations of old habits and people will come. The same intensity the contestants had in their effort to keep off and lose more weight, we need in our struggle with sin. Accountability helps but we have to want it but we also can’t depend on it. It has to come from the desire within and the work of the Holy Spirit.
In the end, they were all able to lose more weight. They developed healthier lifestyles at home and were able to integrate what they learned at the ranch into their daily routine. We can do the same. The principles still apply. Do not be worried but take heart. God will continue the good work he started in you.