I was reading an article the other day. The article was about statistics on people who have suffered a heart attack or a stroke and what percentage of them make a lifestyle change. This article stood out to me because when I was 49 years old. A guy working on my back looked at me and said, “Once you turn 50, it’s tough to lose weight.”

That conversation stuck in my head, and one night, after waking up in a cold sweat, I knew that my weight was out of control and affecting my quality of life. I remembered that conversation and decided to do something about it. So, when I started reading this article, it grabbed my attention. I knew what I had accomplished was not easy, but what I should have realized was the low percentage of people who can make lifestyle changes.

The article, published in April in the Journal of American Medicine, shows that one in four men don’t make any lifestyle changes after a heart attack. Women are more likely to change unhealthy behaviors, and urban residents are more likely to make at least two lifestyle changes than those who live in rural areas.

It was the statistics that blew my mind. “Three behaviors were included in the study: smoking cessation, healthy eating, and physical exercise. Out of 7,519 patients surveyed in 17 countries, just 4.3 percent of participants improved their habits in all three areas, more than 30 percent made two lifestyle changes, and more than 47 percent changed at least one lifestyle behavior to better their health.”

After reading this article, I was concerned that people who have had a major life experience of coming to know who Jesus is are not willing to make lifestyle changes or stop doing the very things that lead to death. The Bible says gossip is a tasty morsel in her mouth that leads to a forest fire. If anybody should understand this word picture, it’s us who live in Northern California, who always have fires, yet we continue to gossip.

Paul is pleading with Timothy in his final letter he will ever write to walk in the grace provided by Jesus. We must also walk in this grace away from the iniquities that hinder our relationship with Jesus. What three lifestyle changes do you need today to have the abundant life promised in scripture?

Join us this Sunday to read Paul’s plea to young Timothy, whom Paul cares deeply for. Service begins at 9:30, and the air conditioning will be on.

In Him,
Pastor Chris