This will define the “why” behind everything we do at Organic Eater, and I hope it will encourage you to give purpose, meaning, and reason behind the healthy lifestyle you choose. Since the Bible is the foundation for my world view, my ultimate “go-to”, I am including verses for those who want to incorporate a spiritual reason/support behind each statement. You can read & study the verses for meditation & quiet time, or for those “rough days” when you need extra encouragement to keep doing this.

Disclaimer: many of these concepts were inspired by “The Code” at Elevation Church, or instruction (blog, sermon, tweets) by Pastor Steven Furtick, and I need to give credit where it is due.

1. I AM HERE FOR A PURPOSE. My life has meaning and purpose and that is ultimately what drives everything I do. 1Corinthians 6:19  Ephesians 1:4  Psalm 138:8  1 Corinthians 6:19  Psalm 139:13  Proverbs 19:21  Jeremiah 1:5

2. I WILL LEARN. I will read, study, and educate myself, using discernment, without living in fear or condescension with the knowledge I gain. I will “eat the fish and leave the bones” when studying health practices I may not fully agree with, and try to learn something from everyone God brings into my journey. Proverbs 15:14  Prov 15:30  Romans 2:1  Ephesians 4:2   2Peter 1:5-8  Romans 14:2-8

3. I WILL CHANGE. With God’s help, I am capable of changing my life. I do the “natural”, and He will take care of the “supernatural”. I will implement what I learn, even if it is in baby steps, for myself first, and for my family as I am able. Knowledge has to be applied/implemented in order to create change. 1Corinthians 3:17  Colossians 3:23  Hebrews 12:11  Proverbs 15:32

4. I WILL PERSEVERE. This may not be easy. (It will be much harder for some than others.) There will be challenges ahead. I am not perfect, and if there is a set back of any kind, I have a “New 24” every day. Philippians 2:5 & 14   Hebrews 12:7  1Peter 5:7  2Corinthians 4:8

5. I WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND GOOD ATTITUDE. No one in this world knows everything there is to know about good health, only The Creator Himself. New information, some good and some bad, comes at us constantly. This is a lifestyle, not a dictatorship (and not a diet!). It may change as new knowledge is gained. It’s a journey. I “eat the fish and leave the bones” when reading something I may not agree with 100%.   This lifestyle incorporates  food, exercise, rest, and mental/spiritual dimensions, in which I can always be learning and growing. My attitude makes a huge difference to my outcome. Proverbs 15:17  Romans 12:2  Philippians 2:14

6. MY HISTORY DOES NOT DETERMINE MY DESTINY. The past cannot be changed, but I can create a new future. I have a New 24 every day, and a New 365 every year, but my desire has to be bigger than my dysfunction. Change only happens when the pain of the SAME outweighs the pain of CHANGE. How badly do I want this? 2Corinthians 5:17 Hebrews 11

7. I WILL BUILD MY LIFE FOR WHERE IT’S GOING, not where I am.  I will keep “where I’m going” ahead of me by setting goals, tracking my progress, and creating environments that contribute to a better life. This may mean changing/deleting some things/relationships that are keeping me from fulfilling my purpose. Proverbs 20:4, 18  Jeremiah 29:11  Proverbs 16:3

8. For those who call themselves Followers of Christ, we are compelled to do everything for His glory and through/to/for Him. That alone will motivate everything we do, to be done with excellence and LOVE, and with all our heart, soul, body, mind, and spirit. Romans 8:28  Colossians 3:17