Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
The Detox – Put ON so you can Put OFF
The Detox
Have you heard of the Put On – Put Off principle?
I am doing a (physical) detox and noticed how closely the plan/methodology of the detox is to the spiritual principle.
The plan lasts 28 days and increasingly adds good things to the body to dispel the toxins, and to rebuild a healthier system.
To some this seems impossible or backward, and some would quickly say we need to repent of sin before we can put on the new. Do we ever come
to the place of repentance without God’s help? I certainly haven’t and James 4:7 directs us to understand why putting on the new puts off the old. Rather than sloughing-off the external symptoms of inner decay – to “try” to break the old habit or mask its symptoms hoping to make room for the new, God’s Word directs us to the formula in James 4:7: “Submit, therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
- Submit to God. (Put ON)
- Resist the devil (Put OFF)
- and he will flee from you.
In scripture to Put Off is not so much to take off or discard as in take off a sweater, but more so to repel or repulse; and Put ON is not merely to cover, to clothe oneself with; as to put on a coat, but to apply; activate: put on the brakes. If you have had to confront any habit at all, you know what I am talking about…the first step is to recognize the need and turn to the creator for help.
Similarly with my health detox, I first bought fresh foods to build up and replenish the body so it could be strong to resist the toxins and send them on their way. I’m only in my 4th day, and am feeling both sides of the battle. On one hand my body is headachy and grouchy (due to lack of the usual sugar or white potato chip crunch I’m sure).
On the other hand, I am not craving a particular thing, because I have nutritious happy food like the zucchini avocado guacamole, the pina-colada date balls and a filet for dinner! {sorry no picture it was gobbled up too quickly!} It was fun to find that tiny filet in the freezer, and fun to remove a couple of other things to share- instead of eating it all myself! Each day I plan or make another treat from my special healthy recipe collection because the more good I put in the sooner I can take back control over my tastebuds.
I’ve tried it before – to cold turkey off of chocolate, or potato chips, or white potatoes in any form.
Doesn’t work.
So this time, I preceded the detox with a week of practice taking in extra water, forcing myself to consume 3 meals and 2 fruits a day and, voila! I found by the end of that week that my body really preferred the healthier choices.
My spirit reacts the same…
I’ve tried to overcome attitudes by pasting on a fake smile, and forging through. Doing the action before getting the strength is backward, and…
Backward doesn’t work.
Instead, when going to the Master first, listening (to the Word or to music) I found my focus and my attitude changing.
So that’s the start of my detox.
Have you done a detox?
Spiritually or physically?
What has been your experience?
One Comment on “The Detox – Put ON so you can Put OFF”
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Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 
Beautiful analogy. Very encouraging. Thanks, Pat C
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