Do you ever want to run, jump and live free? It sounds simple and carefree. I want to live with energy, enthusiasm and passion for all the things God calls me to, and I want to do it for decades to come.

Physical health has been a lifelong pursuit of mine and one I haven’t been fully successful at. I have done lots of work on my emotional and spiritual health. This has supported some weight loss and increased energy, but I’m not at my peak. A year and a half a go I renewed my commitment to live healthy to live free.

I began researching everything I could get my hands on related to nutrition, fitness and health. As a former personal trainer, I learned that much of what I was taught related to nutrition was wrong. Research article after research article, medical expert after medical expert kept confirming what I didn’t want to believe. Calories don’t count (a really over simplified nutshell).

So, now I have figured it out and I’m living free-right? Nope. I’m in a healthier place, but I’m still not there. I left out one key ingredient – God.

PROVERBS 16:9 SAYS, “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it” (MSG).

Ugh. This is a lesson I should have learned by now, but for some reason I need to revisit it every so often. I began reading Daniel Plan by Rick Warren with a bit of an attitude. I assumed I was already going to know everything the book had to say. The science I knew, but I had left out God. When I was dealing with depression, I knew the science and tried to leave out God. It doesn’t matter what we are facing, as Proverbs says, we can’t do it without Him.

To live free requires three things:

1. Get uncomfortable. Change requires discomfort. It was easier to stay depressed than to begin the work to change. God could just make my body change, but I think He would rather walk the journey with me teaching me His ways in the process.

2. Trust God. I know it sounds cliché, but we can’t do it on our own. He will guide and care for us on the journey regardless if it is depression, weight loss, chronic illness etc.

3. Do hard things. Take the baby steps necessary to move from discomfort to comfort. With each baby step celebrate success. Change is hard and the journey can be long. A baby step is less overwhelming and easier to be successful with than doing everything at once. Make a plan and take the first step.

I choose to live free. Will you join me? Living free can be hard work, but every step I have taken is worth it. My burden continues to get lighter and my energy and passion grow. Take God with you on the journey and He will make your path delightful, challenging and life changing.

Share below how you have made steps to live free and we can encourage each other.