“The Biggest Loser”

Scripture – Ephesians 4:17-32

Series – Life Lessons from Reality TV

© Rev. Joseph Liddick 

Introduction:

Today I want to begin a series of messages for the month of June that use reality TV as a backdrop to reveal some important spiritual life lessons. I know, many of you are thinking, “There isn’t really anything spiritual or anything worth knowing from TV, particularly most of the so called reality fare that is out there.” That may be true, but I also know that many of you, like me, are junkies to some of these shows. And, believe it or not, I think that there are actually some great spiritual lessons that can be gleaned from them. So, for the next month, I’m going to attempt to do just that.

32 Year old Ali Vincent of Mesa Arizona saw herself as a prisoner trapped inside her body. Working as a hair dresser in a salon, she knew that being overweight was a big taboo in the world of beauty. She aspired to become a platform artist for a large corporation, but her weight hindered her from her dreams. Her starting weight on this year’s Biggest Loser TV show was 234 lbs. Sadly, when other people looked at Ali before she joined the show, they didn’t see her for the beautiful woman that was inside. They looked at the outside and simply said, “Loser.”

Ali and her mother Bette-Sue, who started as team mates, were eliminated on week four of the show, but during week 11, both were brought back. Ali, who had lost an additional 67 pounds (28.63%) since leaving the show, made it back into the game as a contestant, and even became the biggest loser for the week. Then, on the live finale weigh in, Ali weighed in at a mere 122 pounds, after having lost 112 pounds and 47.86% of her original body weight, and became the very first female Biggest Loser winner. In case you’ve never watched this reality TV show, that’s the simple premise. The contestant that loses the highest percentage of weight over a specified period wins a cash award and the title “The Biggest Loser.” Each week they are guided by physical trainers who help the contestants learn to eat right and exercise hard, and each week they face a weigh-in where one of the lower weight-losing contestants is voted off. Contrary to its title, it is really a very inspirational show as over time some critically unhealthy people learn to develop healthy habits that literally change their lives for the better.

As most of you know, obesity is a growing problem in our culture today. Studies among adults age 20-74 show that more than 33% of them can actually be classified as obese. These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. The Center for Disease Control states that being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

·       Hypertension (high blood pressure)

·       Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

·       Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

·       Type 2 diabetes

·       Coronary heart disease

·       Stroke

·       Gallbladder disease

·       Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

·       Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

I know that some of you here this morning struggle with weight issues. I want to let you know that my intent this morning is not to pile a load of guilt on you, but if along the way you do happen to gain some inspiration to live healthier, then I guess a little guilt is probably OK. Excess weight does keep us from being all that we really can be in life. The bigger question for all of us, though, is how do we go about getting rid of all the other stuff in life that constantly weighs us down and keeps us from being fully devoted followers of Christ. What is it that is holding you back from being the beautiful, holy person that God sees inside of you?

If you and I are ever going to become that person, then we need to become “biggest losers” in a spiritual sense. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he talks about the importance of putting off the old self, which he says is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and then being made new in the attitude of our minds, putting on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. That, my friends, is a complete and radical spiritual makeover. “The Biggest Loser” reality TV show demonstrates that complete transformation is possible in regards to one’s weight. Just think what can happen in the spiritual realm with the Holy Spirit as your personal trainer!

Determine to Become a Different Person than the One you have Settled for

One of the common characteristics of the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” is that they all reached a place in their life where they really wanted to change. They were no longer willing to settle for the overweight person they had become. I sincerely believe that one of the biggest barriers to spiritual growth is complacency. The dictionary defines complacency as “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.” You see we all have a tendency to “settle” for less than the best. One of the leading books in recent years has been the book Good to Great, by Jim Collins. His first statement in the book is, “Good is the enemy of great… We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good – and that is their main problem.”

I know in my own life that there have been a number of times when I have settled into a complacency regarding where I am and where I want my life to be. Mid-life, in particular, is one of those dangerous times when people tend to look back and conclude that they are probably not going to achieve a lot of the goals that they had originally set for themselves. That “crisis” often leads people into a variety of self-destructive behaviors. Believing that life for them will probably not get any better than it is, they often begin to settle and quit pressing forward. They don’t like who they are, but they don’t have much hope that life will be any different.

Sadly, a lot of Christians eventually begin to settle for mediocrity in their spiritual life. Perhaps they reach a wall with some stubborn habit or sin that they just don’t seem to break. Possibly they grow somewhat content with the progress they have already made and feel that that is as “holy” as they want to get. We all need what Bill Hybels calls “holy discontent.” That’s when we know we’re not all that we should be, but we refuse to settle for mediocrity. The apostle Paul had that kind of holy discontent. At one point of his life he remarked, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14)

One of the principles of Scripture is that God is in the business of spiritual transformation. 2 Cor.5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Romans 12:2 encourages us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” The Greek word used there is the word from which we get the word metamorphosis. It’s like the proverbial caterpillar that eventually becomes a butterfly. It doesn’t have to settle for being a worm all its life. It can sprout wings and fly. I know my own life changed in some rather dramatic ways when I came to Christ. Undoubtedly yours did as well. The Holy Spirit took up residence in your life and began a process of helping you to become more and more like Christ. You already know that change is possible. So, determine to be a different person than the one you have settled for.

Become accountable to people who want you to succeed

All of the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” have a network of family and friends who ultimately want them to succeed – not just to win the title and the money, but the real prize of living a healthy lifestyle. Along the way the contestants also develop deep relationships with their trainers and other contestants who also want to see them succeed. You just can’t make any major change in your life all by yourself. You need others to believe in you and encourage you and even hold your feet to the fire along the way when you are tempted to cheat or quit. Without that you will inevitably fall back into your old self-destructive patterns.

Take, for example, what sometimes happens when contestants on the show win a reward that involves taking a trip home. They’ve been away from home for some time, and understandably miss their spouses, or their children, or their close friends. But home is also the place where all the old habits were formed. And back in those familiar surroundings it is so easy for these contestants to neglect their exercise, or eat the wrong things. And some of their friends, who often battle the same demons they used to, end up unintentionally pulling them down. Then, when they get back to the Biggest Loser campus, these people end up losing the weigh-in and falling below the yellow line, having to leave the game altogether.

Alcoholics Anonymous understands this principle of accountability. Every participant in AA is given a sponsor. Whenever a person in the program is tempted to drink, they are told to call their sponsor, who in turn provides counsel and encouragement to stay strong. A participant in AA understands that their sponsor knows their weaknesses, but at the same time still believes that they can succeed. In fact, they have a vested interest in their success.

That’s what the Church is supposed to be for followers of Christ. We just cannot thrive spiritually without the church. A lot of people try to go it on their own, but we simply weren’t made to succeed that way. God put us into relationship with one another in the church for a reason – so that we could help one another become more like Christ. That was the genius of Wesley’s classes, societies and bands in 18^th century England. Followers of Christ would routinely gather together to examine one another’s lives and spur one another on toward holy living. You too, if you want to become a fully devoted follower of Christ, need relationships like that – people you trust who know you, believe in you, and want you to succeed.

Take in the right nutrition

Contestants on “The Biggest Loser” are regularly instructed by their trainers on the importance of what they put into their bodies. You are what you eat, the saying goes. And the contestants are all keenly aware that they had gotten to the weight they were by eating the wrong things – primarily foods that were high in fats and sugars – you know, good tasting food. Food is what fuels your body. Unfortunately, though, they had all been guilty of putting the wrong fuel in the tank. It’s like trying to run a high performance automobile on water. It may fill the tank, but it’s just going to sit there and foul up the machinery. It sure won’t make the engine run. And the wrong kinds of food not only add excess calories that require exercise to burn off, but they make a person lethargic so that they don’t have the energy to do it. It’s a downward spiral.

Real weight loss isn’t about not eating, though. It’s all about eating the right kinds of food. And, believe it or not, the right kinds of food are equally appetizing as the high fat and sugar foods, only they are much more satisfying. So it is with our spiritual lives. We are what we eat, spiritually. That’s why the apostle Paul encouraged the church to continually think about the things that were true, noble, right, pure and lovely – the things that were excellent and praiseworthy

Jesus once remarked, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” All of us know that we probably eat too much of the high fat, high calorie, fast food stuff that comes from Hollywood. It just sits there in our systems and provides little or no real nutrition to our souls. It tends to make us fat and lazy, spiritually speaking, providing little or no energy to tackle the important issues in life. On the other hand, most of us also know that we take in far too little of God’s word. It’s the one thing that truly nourishes the soul and equips us for every good work. And the good thing about it – you can’t get too much of it! Not long ago I bought a set of the Bible on CD, and I listen to it when I drive back and forth to work every day. I go through the whole Bible at least 2-3 times a year that way. Esther listens to the CD’s in the morning in the bathroom when she gets ready for work. If you are spiritually what you eat, what kind of nutrition are you taking in?

Expend the right amount of energy

It’s not enough, when it comes to weight loss and healthy living, to simply eat the right foods. You also have to exercise. The contestants on “The Biggest Loser” are all assigned personal trainers who daily run them through a rigorous program of exercise that helps them to increase their metabolism and burn excess calories. Let’s face it - if you eat 2500 calories a day and only burn off 2000, you are going to gain weight. But, if you eat 2000 calories a day by eating the right foods and burn 2500 calories a day by adding a little more activity, you will lose weight.

The same is true in your spiritual life. It’s not enough to just take in the right spiritual nutrition. You also have to work it out. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” Paul once remarked. That doesn’t mean you have to work for your salvation. No, you are saved by grace, through faith – not of works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, as James says, “faith without works is dead.” Churches are unfortunately full of a lot of spiritual couch potatoes who are content to just sit back and watch others do most of the work. But couch potatoes will never reach their spiritual potential. God never saved us to just sit around waiting for heaven. On the contrary, the Bible says that “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). If we are going to keep from falling below the yellow line, we have to expend the right amount of energy.

Persevere

Every contestant on “The Biggest Loser” reaches a point where they wonder if they can go on. Radical life change is hard work, full of discouragement and setbacks. Some reach a wall where the pounds just don’t seem to come off, no matter how hard they work at it. Some reach a wall where they don’t want to hurt anymore from the intense workouts. Other’s experience strong cravings for the foods that got them in trouble to begin with. The desire to quit is strong.

Maybe you’ve faced that same desire at some point in respect to your spiritual journey. Oh, you weren’t ready to give up on God. You’d never do that. But there have been plenty of times where you were ready to quit working at becoming all that God wants you to be. Maybe you hit a wall where you weren’t making any progress. Or perhaps you gave in to one of your big temptations, and now you wonder if you can ever be that person. The sacrifice is more than you bargained for. It’s so much easier just to coast. After all, what difference will a few extra pounds of guilt make?

My word to you today is simply this – don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t coast. Don’t settle. Someday you are going to have to stand on God’s scales and give an account for your actions. I don’t know about you, but that’s the point in my life where I don’t want to have any regrets for what I could have, would have, and should have done. In respect to my sinful, old self I want to be the biggest loser. I want to be found holy. I want to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”