“What does it mean to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service? I am sure anyone would know that what you put in is what you are going to put out.”
What a powerful challenge today from my dear friend and guest blogger, Cheryl Edwards. I had the blessing of interviewing Cheryl on a segment of Contagious Courage in 2019.
To see my interview with Cheryl and hear about her back story click here.
About Cheryl
Cheryl B. Edwards was born and raised in Edmonton, AB and competed on a World Class level representing Canada in track and field from the tender age of fourteen specializing in the women’s 400m. Cheryl is a graduate and an Alumni from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
At present, she is married to her best friend Wade Edwards and together with their strong passion for music, youth, women and the community at large; they both aspire to use their strong faith in Christ and life skills experience in full-time ministry as a motivating factor to encourage and impact many lives.
"Coming Through Depression"
Cheryl sits down with 100 Huntley Street to share her journey through depression
After all Cheryl has faced and overcome, she has all the credentials to speak to us on how we can present our bodies as a living sacrifice. I know that you will be encouraged and impacted today by this powerful woman of God, so please welcome back my dear friend Cheryl Edwards.
What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?
Romans 12:1 says: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
What does it mean to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service? One of the ways in which we can present our bodies is to be mindful what you ingest and feed your body. For 16 years, I have tried everything under the sun to lose weight. I would try every diet plan that was out there and still no change. I was hoping that each day and morning that I would place myself on that scale I would be closer to loosing weight. But in fact, I was treating my body and food to idolatry. Each day I would fill myself with garbage. And I am sure anyone would know that what you put in is what you are going to put out.
There comes a time when you desire change. That enough is enough! With the hope of presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord we must take that very seriously. I know I had to. I wanted to honor God and choose the proper whole foods to eat. There was a huge void in my body and all the while I was filling it with junk food instead of the healthy food and the word of God. I genuinely believe the scripture when God said that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). We as God leading ladies desire to take care of ourselves, to forgive and most of all love ourselves. Sometimes we must hide away in the presence of the Lord and seek for instruction of what he requires of us. There are times and seasons when we must be refined and pruned to be used by God. In Malachi 3:3 it says: “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness”.
I had to come to the harsh reality to take my health and wellness more seriously. Usually every new year, I tried to make a commitment to lose weight. But it did not happen as I was not committed. Sometimes we may try for a week, or month, and then revert to our old habits. We must make a concerted effort to commit our bodies unto the Lord and allow him to remove the guilt, shame, dross that we may be carrying. As there is the spiritual and physical weight. For the spiritual weight God honors us as we feed on his word and just bask in his presence and sit at his feet. For the physical is to eat the right nutrition, exercise and take our daily supplements.
I realize that as I get older, that the knees and bones are somewhat aching and so I took it upon my self to wake up and say this will be the day where I will begin my journey towards wellness. God cares about every detail of our lives. He promises in his word in 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. There were days when I had to cry out to the Lord to help me to have the discipline and desire to stick to a game plan. I realized that I could not do this on my own, I had to depend wholly and solely on God.
The most important thing is to love ourselves. No matter which stage in life, we must begin to love and know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God has chosen us before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4). Just take a minute and pause … God promises in John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you”. What an honor and a privilege that we are chosen by God! I encourage you to take care of your health and wellness as you also nurture your spiritual walk with the Lord. Remember, that no matter what you may be going through in this journey called life, we are daughters of the most high God and he sees us beautiful (Ecc.3:11)
Brand-New Horizon
If you want to see more of what Cheryl is up to, her autobiography “A Brand-New Horizon” (coming late summer early fall 2021), shares her journey of competing for Canada on a world class level for 17 years, followed by a nervous breakdown which led to a 20-year battle with mental illness.
From victim to victor, Cheryl talks about how God redeemed her from the depths of darkness into his marvelous light. As we anticipate the release of Cheryl’s first autobiography she desires to impact, encourage, and motivate the reader through the message of hope.
From her album “Victory Celebration” the single “Cry for Mercy” relates and identifies with the problems today and the single “God’s Grace” is Cheryl’s testament of overcoming the giants she had faced in her life through God’s grace.
Cheryl’s Song INNER CHILD - Cheryl B. Edwards
New Book, New Workshop!
My second book, Contagious Courage, has now launched! On top of that, I’ve had the privilege of starting a Contagious Courage Workshop that stemmed from the book.
On Saturday, April 17th at 9:00 a.m. MDT, you can get up close and personal with me in the two-hour workshop. I’ll challenge you to break through your fears and embrace a courageous perspective, helping you grow through what you go through and find the strength to face your giants. You’ll be able to go farther than you ever thought was possible.
ARE YOU READY?
Check out “Contagious Courage Workshop” on Eventbrite or click here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/contagious-courage-workshop-tickets-148937051731?aff=eand
Follow Vahen through the pages of Contagious Courage and see how you too can live in freedom with courage that is contagious.
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