Day 8 – The Exchange: 21 Days of Spiritual Swaps

When it comes to my health; I am a bit of a yo-yo dieter. I will get excited about a particular diet or lifestyle change, stick with it for a few days… and then give up.

Nevertheless, there are a handful of health and lifestyle changes that I have definitely stuck to. Those changes were motivated by a desire to love my family well.

For example, before I tried to conceive, I successfully completed a “Whole 30” diet. I did this because, as someone suffering colitis, I knew that I needed to keep my ‘flare ups’ under control, in order to have a healthy pregnancy.

The point is: if you are going to stay committed to something, you have to have a good “WHY!” A good reason to stay motivated towards that commitment.

Eight days ago, I began writing this 21-day bible study, because I desperately wanted to change. I wanted to swap lies for truth and I wanted to let go of the things that were keeping me spiritually stuck.

This past week I have wrote about letting go of jealousy, shame, comparison and anxiety. In other words; I’ve acknowledged those things that were keeping me bound. I’ve sorted through my spiritual wardrobe and I’ve identified which things have no place in my life.

But I want to get practical.

I don’t want to get to day 21 and only think: “wow, I wrote a lot!”

I want to get to day 21 and be able to physically see how my life has changed. I want these 3 weeks to be marked by God; I want Him to have His way. Shake things up. Do whatever HE desires.

Today, I made the decision to swap acknowledgement for change.

I reflected on the past week and asked the Holy Spirit to identify any areas whereby I need to now make a physical change in my life.

Here’s what came up for me:

• On day 7 I spoke of how I was feeling anxious. This morning, I got up and did a workout and let go of any stress. I allowed endorphins to rise up!
• On day 5 I spoke of how I had swapped comparison for forgiveness. Today I sought forgiveness from someone I loved.
• On day 6 I spoke of how I swapped my blank slate for God’s amazing adventures. Today, I got up and gave God my to-do list again. I didn’t stop to sweep crumbs off our floor; I did choose to pack up a bag and take my daughter into town for a picnic lunch… and a chocolate flake!

Please hear me: I don’t want you to use this day to get busy, for the sake of being busy. I do want you to reflect on the past week and start asking God if there are any areas in which you need to physically do something, in order to move forward with change.

Action Points

• Today, I want you to reflect on the past week. Is there anything that God prompted you to do, that you haven’t yet done?
• Ask God, what is one physical thing I can do today to create positive change in my life?