Storing Treasures

In today's episode I am encouraging you to fix your eyes on what matters. We will be in scripture today as I share a glimpse of what my life and thought process looked like in what I call my "lost year." Storing treasures, setting goals, and working through them can sometimes make us have tunnel vision, where we forget to place God first. As 2023 is winding down, there's going to be a lot of Motivation to set goals for next year. Let's set them with heavenly treasures in mind! 

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"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13

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Transcript

0:07

Hey friend, welcome to the Restore Mind podcast, where we are going to be talking about various life topics surrounding mindset transformation. Imagine what it will look like to have peace in your life, despite what the world is telling you. Hi, my name is Caroline, a wife, mom of three, and makeup turned fitness enthusiast. I am here to help you build a strong mindset that will propel you forward into a life of peace and joy. Philippians 4. 13 says, I can do all things through him who gives me strength. Well, my friend, there is freedom waiting for you. So if you are ready to build a 2. 0 version of yourself, then this podcast is for you. So grab your water, or whatever you like to drink, throw on your walking shoes, and let's get going because it's always 4. 13. Hello and welcome to the restore mind podcast. My name is Caroline and my friend. How are you doing today? If you are a returning listener, I have to take a moment and say thank you For taking the time out of your day week after week to spend some time with me I do greatly appreciate it. And honestly when I started this journey, I didn't think that anyone would listen But here you are week after week choosing to spend time with me. And so for that i'm just very grateful. So, thank you If you are a new listener, welcome a board that restored mine family. I am so excited to have you here with us, and I hope that you find today's episode to be inspirational to you Here at the restored mind podcast We look at mindset transformations from a faith lens I talk about My story in the trailer or episode so if you want to know more about me and how this came about I would highly recommend And Checking that out But regardless i'm just excited that you decided to pop in on this episode and i hope to have you here on future episodes All right, so I feel like November had just started and now we're already about to celebrate Thanksgiving next week I don't know where the time has gone But we're gearing up towards the end of the year my friends and this is usually around the time where You might start seeing a lot of social media posts that is trying to motivate inspire or maybe encourage you in some way to start your journey now Whether it be in fitness or in business or whatever it may be it's the idea that whatever journey that you're wanting to be on, whatever goals you have, they don't have to wait until a certain time. And so for me in a certain season of my life, it was something that really motivated me to get going, but also there's a missing portion of that. And so that's what we're going to be talking about today, which is storing your treasures. So basically fixing your eyes on what matters, what matters to you what goals do you want to set in your life or where do you want to make improvements in your life? Would it be your finances, your family, Maybe your mindset or your fitness journey, maybe even a wellness journey in general, whatever that may look like. And so for me a couple of years ago, it was a season in my life where I really wanted to be on this fitness journey and consistently show up for myself instead of having a stop and go Relationship with my fitness journey. I've been on this journey for three years total now consistently, which is really great But this episode I'm going to specifically talk about year one, which I Called the lost years because this is the year I finally acknowledged all of my collective brokenness in my life So I started out seeking results for my own personal gains and I was only worried about the physical results I didn't care about anything else, and if you've been listening for quite some time, I know this story is going to sound really repetitive, but it is also something that I can't stray away from because it's a part of my journey, it's a part of my story, and there's been so many lessons that have been. Learned from just this particular wilderness alone. So I'm gonna talk about it again today, especially if you're new It'd be great for you to have some background information on me. But year one is the last year I started seeking only physical results. I was only worried about How my physical body looked I was wanting to feel beautiful and be confident Plus, I had a girls trip planned sometime that year, and it was a beach trip, so that unlocked a whole nother level of insecurity that I didn't know I had, because I was so broken from a miscarriage that, made me feel unworthy. My main goal in this season, year one, was to achieve weight loss and to be as small as I could be on the scale. I was so fixated on that particular number of 115 pounds and I would settle for 120 pounds because then I was ideally the perfect weight. Sounds kind of silly, right? But for me it was a true thing. It was something that I struggled through and I had a lot of other insecurities and I thought if I achieved these physical results that somehow I was going to. heal myself from all the pain and all the hurt collectively that I have had over the years of my life, that it would just disappear and go away. I was doing HIIT cardio two times a day, about seven days a week, I lacked knowledge and what nurturing my body would look like because I believed what I had been taught or what I had been told or maybe heard rumors that were not accurate information. They were very misleading that carbs are bad and eating less would mean a smaller me, which essentially, yes, it could mean a smaller me if I ate less, but I wasn't sustaining my body to be able to trust me enough. To achieve the weight loss that I wanted to achieve. And so, while I did get to a certain body weight that I was looking for, it wasn't sustainable. I didn't enjoy it and I was miserable. So I started wondering, how do these people who show up everyday for themselves consistently show up for themselves? Right? The ones that are on their fitness journey and consistently showing up, how are they doing it? Are they miserable for the rest of their life, maintaining their bodies or, or reaching their goals? These are actual questions that I thought about because I just couldn't comprehend how someone could put themselves through something that was so miserable and so draining and stressful. It got to the point where i gave myself a finish line i said once i get down to 115 pounds or 110 pounds i'll stop doing this because i didn't want to be miserable for the rest of my life I didn't know how to build a solid foundation that was going to help me fix my eyes on things that actually mattered. And, a little sneak peek, it wasn't my physical body. So why am I sharing this with you? Because I had to ask myself at one point or another during this season if what I was doing reflects what matters to God. Because Jesus tells us. In Matthew 6, not to lay up treasures for yourselves on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, you can find this in Matthew 6. My treasure at the time was my body and I was longing for acceptance from the world. I was desperate to feel beautiful and confident and so. I was so fixated on the physical results that I didn't think about anything else. I was blinded by my obsession of having a body that I deemed beautiful, I had to approve of it, because during my brokenness, I listened to a voice that told me that I wasn't enough. And it convinced me that I was lacking, I lacked in intelligence, that I was lacking in beauty, in confidence, in hope, and in peace. There were so many other things, but these are just a couple. I thought that if I obtained physical beauty, that I would somehow be healed from my inner troubles. In my desperation, I didn't stop to think that my body is this temporary treasure, so to speak. And I knew, subconsciously, that one day I wouldn't be here on Earth anymore, that I would eventually die. hadn't occurred to me. That eventually my physical body would perish. It was crazy, like I knew that one day I wasn't going to be here on earth anymore. But I didn't think that my body, my physical body would perish. And then, the kicker was, when I was struggling through all of this, and wondering what all of this work was for, if I'm not able to reach this goal because everything seemed so hard, the question that came to mind that kicked me right in the gut, or I should say punched me right in the gut, is what happens to your soul after all of this. What is going to happen to your soul when you leave this earth and your physical body is gone? And I had to take a moment. I remember sitting in my garage. And I remember then asking, what is all of this for? Why am I doing this? In that season of my life, I hadn't put too much thought into it, but I did put a lot of thought into wondering how people can say that they've been working out for 5 years, or 25 years, or even 30 years, I don't know. Put a number that's, that was longer than a year. And I would think to myself, how are they doing this every single day? How are they showing up for themselves? Because for me, Every day, I was miserable. I was miserable. I didn't enjoy eating because I cut out carbs. I was eating cauliflower rice three times a day because I was so afraid to consume carbs. I was so afraid to gain weight after I had set a goal, had my eyes set on my physical body. That it became an attachment to the scale because for me that was validation that I did something right that week because I saw the numbers going down and it boosts my confidence and it gave me the feel good feeling that I wanted but also it didn't stay very long. It wasn't sustainable. And so, what is the lesson that I learned in this season? It was don't get so caught up in the temporary things that I missed the bigger picture So what is the bigger picture? Well Jesus has already told us what not to do, but now he's gonna tell us what to do. He says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. That's verse 20 of Matthew 6. Just wanted to put that out there if you need the reference. treasure is often associated with money, because when you think of treasure, you automatically picture a treasure chest with coins in it, or some type of monetary value. But I will also say that in my experience, and what I believe to be true, is that treasures are often something that you love or have adoration for. It might not be money, because money might not be a thing that you worry about, but it could be your desires, your spouse, your family, your physical body, and vainly, I admit that that was me, but it's anything that you have a strong feeling towards, an affection towards, or an adoration for. So my friend, what has your attention in the season? Has your treasure become number one in your life? When I was discerning through this, trying to answer this question in that season of my life, I had so many excuses made up. I was trying to justify the fact that I only live once and this is my body and I can't do anything about it. I was born the way that I am, so least I could do is obtain the body that I want to obtain. And so that was my justification for thinking that I had my eyes fixed. properly where it needed to be. But then these four questions kind of came about somewhere along the way in this journey of mine. The first one is, are you getting tunneled visioned? And that is basically asking, is that the only thing that you're fixated on? Because it goes into question number two, which is do you easily feel frustrated when you think you've fallen short in how you've served, or maybe how much money you've made, or for me, how much progress you've made. I was so focused on My shortcomings all my failures That I couldn't see myself obtaining the goal that I wanted. I couldn't see myself reaching to that point I had a vision of what I wanted and that motivated me and then somewhere along the way on this journey I realized it was a lot harder than I expected it to be And so now all of a sudden all i'm focusing on are my failures. The fact that the scale went up that week, but last week it was down. The fact that I'm not really enjoying the food that I'm eating, and so when I did actually eat something that I enjoyed, I binged. I ate so much of it to the point where I was overly full and uncomfortable. The third question is, is there a worry that you might not reach the goal that you set for yourself? And like I said, you might have had a vision when you first started this journey that this is what you envisioned for yourself. But as you're traveling through this journey, You realize that it's a lot harder than you were expecting. And so when you look back, all you see are the failures. All you see are the times where you didn't show up. The times where something happened. And you're only fixated on those things. So where are your eyes fixed? If it's fixed on you, you will feel the weight of failure on your shoulders. At least from my experience. And if it's fixed on things above, in heaven, as Jesus says, there is a sense of rest, and knowing that you're going to be okay. That doesn't mean that you're not going to struggle, because you most likely will, especially if you're going to be on this journey for the long haul. This is not a journey of perfection, it's not going to be an easy one, so yes, when those hard times come, you know that you're going to be okay. There is peace within you. When you have your eyes fixed on things above because you have all the confidence that God's got you, which by the way, when I say that, I want to clarify that I don't mean that he's always going to say yes to your prayers or to your desires that you want, but he will give you an answer. And the reason why he doesn't always say yes is because he is a God who was faithful to his will. So if your prayers and your desires are not of him, there's a chance he's going to put you on pause and say, hey, let's rethink this. Which it's up to you at this point, whether he gives you a yes, the no, or maybe to know his voice and build a relationship with him so that you can know when to let something go, or when to be patient in the waiting and when to pray. without ceasing. There's a lot of things that can be for your good when you build a relationship with him, when you change your mind, when you start to renew your mind so that you can be transformed, as Romans 12 2 says, so that you're not conformed to the pattern of this world. And I said that completely backwards. But Romans 12 2 is the verse that I was referring to, but going back to scripture real quick, which I already was in scripture. I don't know. This is me talking to myself. You're getting a glimpse of behind the scenes of what's going on here at the restored mind podcast. So anyway, back to the show, Jesus talks about how the eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. I think of my eyes as a window to a house, right? So think about a window in a home, how it lets in light, but also lets you see things that are outside surrounding it. I think of my eyes being the window into my mind. So the light that I let in, What I am choosing to see affects my mind. And so what I am choosing to do with the goals that I've set for myself affects my mind. Where I am placing it in my life affects my mind. That is why Jesus says afterwards, no one can serve two masters. You cannot serve yourself or anyone else or anything else and God at the same time. One of them has to be first. And yes, you can still reach your goals and grow your faith, but one has to come first. I posted in my Facebook group the other day. If you're not there, look me up. It's the Restored Mind Podcast, it is a Facebook group where I share with you encouraging messages throughout the week that would hopefully inspire you and, help you alongside your mindset transformation journey. Thank you. But in that group I posted the other day, and I quote, You can still reach your goals and grow in your faith, end quote. But, what I didn't mention is that it really should be the other way around. You really should be saying that you can grow your faith and still reach your goals. In my lost years, as I described earlier in today's episode, I questioned how I could make my goals more about God and less about me. Because what I was doing wasn't working. It actually was very stressful. It was bringing on more stress than I wanted to deal with. And honestly, nothing was working. I thought I was doing all the right things, but it turns out I was driving myself to the ground not realizing it. I was tiring myself out not realizing it. And so in my journey, I had to re evaluate what my intentions were with my goals. Did I want a body for my own pleasure and enjoyment? Or did I want... Complete and total wellness for my peace of mind for my soul And I encourage you my friends to sit on that and really ask yourself Whatever goals it is that you're going to be setting for yourself either now or in the coming months or even in the years to come What are your intentions with these goals that you set for yourself? And how are you going to be? Storing these treasures, and where are you going to be storing this treasure? Which one comes first? How are you going to set yourself up to be the best follower of Jesus that you can be? And yes, in this season there's going to be a lot of corrections, a lot of convictions, and there will be moments where you might have to surrender and you're unsure about the surrendering that you're going to have to do. Or maybe there's moments of uncomfortableness where you do have to step out in faith and trust that God's. Got you in this and just know that no matter what you're going to be okay I know it's all hard because we can't see these things. We can't know when these convictions are coming We can't know when corrections are coming or what we need to surrender in the future It's very hard and it's kind of scary to be honest with you because you might feel like you've just settled down And God's saying hey, it's time to pick up and move here. Or maybe he's saying my child. It's time to wait patiently. Wait for me And so, I know that all of this is hard. Setting goals can be daunting, because you might not know what kind of goals to set. It doesn't have to be anything, anything major. It could be something as small as, I want to drink more water this year. Something as simple as that. Or I just want to wake up earlier, 30 minutes earlier, and just read. Start with that. Let it grow naturally. And let God lead you where you need to be. Learn to discern his voice, my friends. Store your treasures in what matters, as Jesus says. Where neither moss nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in. And still, you know, when I was in my lost years,, the thief that came into my mind was the enemy who planted multiple seeds and those lost years. That made me feel like I was not worthy of these changes, that I could never be where I am at today. And when I say that, I'm not saying that I'm anywhere near the picture that I've envisioned, but I am definitely not on day one. And as these roots that were not of God, started to uproot I realized my own worth, the worth that God's spoken over me, the words that He's spoken over me, the love that I understood from Him, was a total game changer, because in year one the lost years was setting me up for years two and three and for the rest of my life and my hope for you My friend is that in this wilderness in the hard times your lost years Whatever that may look like that you not give up and that you store your treasures Where it matters, because it's going to set you up for the rest of your life. I know it's hard, but my friend, you can do hard things. Hey, thank you for listening. If this episode has spoken life into you or your mindset transformation journey, please share it with a friend. The growth of this podcast is possible through you. So thank you for your support and for being a part of the family. I look forward to talking to you again next week here on the Restored Mind Podcast.