by Jon Vaughan
Confession time: I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I love hamburgers, donuts, and pretty much anything that I’m not supposed to eat—plus I have the metabolism of a 90-year-old. So I work the Weight Watchers plan, weigh in weekly, and work hard to avoid buying larger-sized pants.
Weight Watchers has even added 1-1 personalized coaching for their members. Each week, I talk with my Weight Watchers coach (Chris from Virginia) about the struggles and triumphs of the last week. Before we end the call, we agree on 3 key things to help me be more successful (like drinking more water or exercising for 30 minutes). Each week he follows up with me and we talk about my progress. Right now, I’m down 12 pounds with about 10 pounds more to go. Praise The Lord!
You might be asking yourself, what in the name of a “fried potato chip” does that have to do with church? Here are the connection points.
3 Amazing Insights that the Church Can Learn from Weight Watchers
Insight 1 – They have a system. Work the system and the system works. They help me develop goals and then hold me lovingly accountable to those goals. In the same way, the church needs to move away from “group think” and get down to individuals. What if the church helped me develop faith goals and then worked with me to reach those goals? Help me be a more loving dad. Be a more caring husband. Worry less about what I can’t control and trust in God’s unfailing love. Don’t give me 46 things to do; help me narrow it down to 3.
Insight 2 –Focus on making healthy choices. Losing weight and growing my faith in Jesus are both about making some healthy daily choices. In a loving way, help me choose the blessings and avoid the pitfalls that don’t lead me closer to Jesus and others. Help me understand how making those choices helps me reach my faith goals. Think of it like a spiritual Fitbit: show me my progress and help me track my steps toward Jesus.
Insight 3 – It’s about results. James said that “faith without works is dead.” I stay motivated to get healthy when I see the results on the scale or when I put on my skinny jeans (that is a scary mental picture…sorry). Help me focus on the God sightings in my life. Show me the results of making daily decisions to grow closer to Jesus. Show me how I’m reaching my goals. If you fall in love with the process, the results will come.
Getting people to think differently is why we published the incredible Jesus-Centered Bible. We wanted people to encounter Jesus in a fresh way throughout the entire Bible. We even have blue lettering that highlights more than 600 passages in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus.
Together let’s help people dream big, set goals, and live the life that God created them to live!