Victory Of
Wellness
V.O.W.
Your Challenge To
Vow
V.O.W.
Purpose
The V.O.W. program is a plan of action for
you to VOW to God as to which personal activities you are willing to
follow as you allow Him to bless you with a higher degree of wellness.
Vow Defined
A promise made to
God voluntary and deliberate.
A form of worship
—an act of religion.
A profession to
God that God is due the dedication of your actions.
An exercise of
love made with God—love in action.
Act
of putting God first in everything.
An acknowledgment
that makes God your only chance to live.
A promised gift to
God.
A commitment—a
devotion or dedication to a cause or Christ.
A covenant—a
solemn agreement that is binding on all parties.
A consecration—setting
something apart for a specific purpose.
Everyday Vows
Simple statements such
as:
I’ll meet you at 3
o’clock.
I’ll pick you up at 7
o’clock.
I’ll help you do that.
I’ll call you.
I’ll pray for you.
Legal Vows
Legal vows include all
documents you sign.
Legal commitments: (I
agree to)
Pay my rent on the first
of each month.
Make my car payments.
Pay my credit card bills.
Honor my lease agreement.
Biblical Vows
When you agree to be a child
of God you accept all of His teachings.
Can you think of any command
that God gives in the Bible to which you would say, ‘no God I don’t believe I
should have to do that one?’
Biblical vows:
Tithing—giving 10 percent
was common in the Old Testament.
Marriage—faithful to only
one.
Love—even your enemies.
Worship God and only God.
Christian Vows
Accepting Christ as your Lord
and Savior carries responsibilities.
Although grace and mercy will
save you, you have to take some action on your own to be eligible.
What are your
responsibilities?
What does accepting
Christ as your Lord and Savior mean?
Your confession and
baptism are your vows to live for Jesus.
You vow to follow everything
Christ teaches.
You voluntarily promise
God to love only Him.
You agree to be different
from the world.
Biblical Examples
There are many examples
of vows by those who lived during Biblical times.
God has always expected
people to follow-up on what they say they will do.
Jacob
vowed to tithe—Gen. 28:20-22
Israel
vowed to completely destroy the Canaanite cities—Numbers 21:2
Jepthah
vowed to sacrifice a burnt offering—Judges 11:30-31
Hannah
vowed to dedicate her son to God’s service—I Samuel 1:10-11
David
vowed not to sleep until he found a dwelling place for the Lord—Psalm 132:1-5
Absalom
vowed to serve the Lord—II Samuel 15:7-8
God’s Vow
The Rainbow
Genesis 9:13-15, “’I set
my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between
me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the
rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant which is
between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall
never again become a flood to destroy all flesh—Genesis 9:13-15.’”
The Land—
“To your descendants I
have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River
Euphrates…—Genesis 15:18.”
Over 400 years later, God
heard the groanings of the children of Israel in Egypt and He “remembered his
covenant—Exodus 2:24.”
The blood of Jesus—
God calls the blood of
Jesus the “blood of the everlasting covenant—Hebrews 13:20.” God has always kept His covenant with His
people, even to the death of His Son.
Daniel’s prayer—“O Lord,
great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and mercy with those who love
him, and with those who keep his commandments—Daniel 9:4.”
Jesus’ Vow
Jesus made a vow to man
and never lost site of His commitment.
His last vow to you was that He will return to take you home with Him.
How difficult would it be
to know that your vow would cause you great pain and death and still complete
your vow?
Jesus vowed to go to the
cross for you—and He did.
He did it voluntarily and
willingly.
Satan tempted Him often
to go back on His promise—but He didn’t.
He wept in the garden and
asked the Father to let the cup pass from Him—Matthew 26:39.
Because He did not go
back on his promise, you have the opportunity to live in Heaven.
Participants
When you make a vow it
involves more than just you.
Remember when you speak
you bring everyone who hears you into your life
If you don’t want them in
your life, keep quiet.
You—Vows
are voluntary. No one is forcing you to
make a vow. If you don’t want to, then
don’t.
God—A
vow to God is a promise to the one who has the power of life and death. How could anyone think lying to Him would be
advisable?
Anyone directly affected
by the vow—If your vow involves others directly, then you must take into
account their feelings and concerns.
All people who know
about your vow—When other people know you have vowed to do something they are
watching to see if you keep your word.
They are judging Christianity by your actions and words.
All Christians—Because
Christians are in the family of God and are brothers and sisters to Jesus, what
affects one affects all. Making a vow
with God is making a vow with all the family and visa versa.
Guidelines
You would never join some
social club without asking what would be expected of you.
Guidelines help you know
whether or not you want to participate.
Before making your vow
you must understand the following guidelines.
A vow, being a personal
act, binds only the person who makes it.
You should avoid vows
that are embarrassing.
A vow, even in an
unimportant matter such as a New Year’s resolution, presupposes the full
consent of the will.
God approves of vows
because they are useful to man; they strengthen his will to do what is right.
A vow is a good action,
but should be made with prudence and discretion.
All obligation ceases
when the fulfillment of the vow becomes impossible or harmful, or if the reason
for the vow ceases to exist.
God is pleased to grant
blessings in exchange for a vow—as long as you remain faithful to what you
promise.
One who can say
sincerely, “if I had known this or that, I would not have made the vow,” is not
bound by the vow.
The object of the vow
must be something that is humanly possible, for no one can be bound to do what
is impossible.
A vow is not something
God demands that you do—but really likes for you to do.
It is a voluntary
saying—I want to give my very best.
God does not like
blemished offerings. In the Old
Testament the sacrifice had to be without defect.
You
should say to God, I give this gift, not because I owe you (which you do), but
because I love you and I want to say thank you.
In other words you make vows because you are thankful.
Christianity is not about
payback; it’s about gratitude.
A vow must be acceptable
to God.
The sacrifice must not
come from sinful activities.
Putting a career above
family to make money for God is not acceptable.
Warnings
God takes vows very
serious, both His and yours. Think
before speaking!
How you treat your vows
can determine where you spend eternity.
Don’t be offensive to
God!
Unlike the simple breach
of a promise made to a man, a failure to give to God what has been promised Him
is a matter of great importance, a very serious offence.
You are not afforded the
privilege of playing around with commitments made to God!
There is no sin in not
making a promise to God, but there is sin in delaying to pay the vow—Deuteronomy
23:21-23.
God requires
accountability!
If you make a promise and
it turns out to be inconvenient, you must still keep that vow—you promised it
to the Lord.
A rash vow is one made
without forethought, and without a serious resolve to fulfill it. This sort of
vow should never be made.
A vow unfulfilled is
worse than a vow never made—Jeremiah 11; Deuteronomy 11; Ezekiel 17:19-20.
Watch what you say!
But God says you are
responsible for what you have said—Leviticus 5:4-5; Proverbs 20:25.
James tells you not to
swear by heaven, or by earth, or by any oath; but let your yea be yea; and your
nay (no) be nay lest you fall into condemnation—James 5:12.
Be careful of excessive
devotion!
The mouth can be a cause
of sin and a source of destruction in your life, so it's worth heeding the
warning: "Let your words be few—Ecclesiastes 5:2.
Don’t overload yourself
with yeses.
Words are cheap; actions
are what count!
As a Christian, you may
“talk a good game” of faith, yet live in a way that contradicts your words.
Instead, you should “put feet on your faith” by such actions as caring for the
poor and disadvantaged and showing fair treatment to others—James 1:27-2:26.
Don’t
be slack in paying your vows!
“When you make a vow to
God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He
has no pleasure in fools: fulfill
your vow—Ecclesiastes 5:4.”
Don’t be a fool—fulfill
your vow.
You must not break your
word!
“This is what the Lord
commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate
himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he
said—Numbers 30:1-2.”
Don’t break your
covenant!
Covenant breaking weakens
patience, perseverance, honesty, courage and all other virtues.
Covenant breaking is
immoral and sinful.
You
must perform what comes out of your mouth!
“Whatever your lips utter
you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God
with your own mouth—Deuteronomy 23:21-23.”
You
must not go back on your vow!
“Do not let your mouth
lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a
mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your
hands—Ecclesiastes 5:6?”
Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 for the following
summarized warnings!
1. Don't be quick to
utter a vow, or anything else, to God.
2. If you do make a vow
to God, do not delay in fulfilling it.
3. Once you've made a
valid vow to God, you can't retract it.
4. If you make a vow to
God and fail to carry it out, you have offered to God the sacrifice of fools.
5. If you fail to carry
out your vow, you have allowed your mouth to lead you into sin.
6. If you fail to carry
out your vow, you open yourself to God's anger, and the destruction of the work
of your hands by Him.
Procedure
Make sure it is something
you wish to do as a sacrifice to God.
Make sure it is something
God will be pleased for you to do.
Make sure you are totally
dedicated to fulfilling your vow.
You may wish to visit
with a spiritual mentor about your desires and plans.
Always spend time praying
to God for guidance.
Read God’s instructions
in His Word.
Engage in a special,
private ceremony as you make your commitment.
This is a vital step of the procedure!
Tell others about your
vow so they can help you through their encouragement. God knows if you are doing this in a bragging
fashion, which would be wrong.
Remember it is not about
you; it is about being thankful to God.
Self-Disciplines
There are many different
areas of your total wellness for you to consider.
Everyone is different as
to which areas represent his or her greatest struggles.
Your plan may involve
only one area or several areas.
Self-discipline is
essential for successfully a vow.
*Self-control
*Expectations
*Lifestyle
*Fellowship
*Distress *Laughter
*Instant-gratification *Intrinsic
*Spirituality
*Nutrition
*Commitment
*Exercise
*Intelligence
*Sleep
*Persistence
Self-Control
With any health endeavor
you must have the ability to take control of your actions and be responsible
for what you do. No one else can do it
for you or force you to participate.
Key words for
self-control are moderation, temperance, and responsibility.
Expectations
Your expectations must
represent the results you are capable of achieving. They must be realistic.
However, remember that
God is helping you, so don’t underestimate your abilities. You will never achieve great results if your
expectations are always low. Don’t allow
fear to rule.
Lifestyle
Wellness involves more
than just one or two areas in your life.
It is a total way of living.
Lifestyle changes must be
made with the mindset that they are for long-term.
Your lifestyle for the
future is set at a very young age and it can be changed.
Fellowship
God created Eve because
it was not good for Adam to be alone. You need fellowship.
Positive relationships
with others, especially your family and friends, are vital to your social
health.
Others see Jesus through
their interactions with you, and through the sacrifices they see you making.
Distress
Stress and distress are
part of life and they are not necessarily detrimental to your health.
How you respond
to stress and distress determines their effects on your wellness.
Dealing with stress in a
healthful manner can eliminate many health problems.
Instant-gratification
Creating a desire for
instant gratification is one of Satan’s oldest tricks. He used it on Adam and Eve and he uses it
today.
He tells you that you
need to feel good right now; don’t wait on God to provide.
Feeling good is not
necessarily good for you. Delayed
gratification has great merit.
Spirituality
There is nothing more
important in this life than your spiritual walk with God!
All components of your
health are affected by your spiritual wellness.
A strong faith gives you courage to be physically fit. Likewise, other areas of wellness can
influence your spiritual wellness.
A strong faith gives you
courage to be physically fit and maintain a healthful lifestyle.
Commitment
It is well known that you
only succeed at things to which you are completely committed.
Optimal wellness requires
a strong commitment. Remember God
expects only your best.
God is committed to
you—are you committed to Him?
Intelligence
Mental health (emotional
health) is a vital part of your total wellness.
Knowledge and accurate
information are necessary for you to make wise decisions about your lifestyle.
God gave you the ability
to reason and understand and He expects you to use it—educate yourself
concerning concepts of wellness.
Persistence
For easy accomplishments,
very little persistence is needed.
When the going gets
tough, will you stick it out to achieve success?
With God’s help you can
complete your vow; quitting won’t be an option.
You have to be more
persistent than Satan to defeat him.
Laughter
Enjoying life is good for
your health—Proverbs 17:22.
Laughing stimulates your
body systems through ‘internal jogging,’ contributes to longevity, and boosts
the immune system.
Laughter is essential to
stress relief.
Intrinsic Motivation
Your desires that come
from within you and not from outside pressures are defined as being
intrinsic in nature.
Wellness activities
resulting from outside pressures are seldom successful long-term.
Improving your wellness
must be what you want because of your desire to please God.
Nutrition
Negative effects of
wellness for most people result from poor nutrition.
It’s true you have to eat
to live. The question becomes how much,
how often, and which types of food should you eat.
Do you know the personal
effects that negative eating patterns can produce in your life?
Exercise
Society has rapidly
become less and less physically active.
How about you?
Calories in your diet not
used by the body will remain in the body as fat tissue. Extra calories will be burned only through an
increase in physical activities. You
must balance calorie intake with calorie expenditure to maintain your weight.
Sleep
God rested and you are
made in His image; your body needs its rest.
When your body is under
stress from lack of sleep, it will not function well.
Major health problems can
develop when you deprive yourself of sleep.
Positive
Biblical Gifts
Genesis 4:3-4—Abel’s
gifts were acceptable to God.
Genesis 22:7-10—Abraham
was willing to give his son’s life to God.
I Samuel 1:11—Hannah gave
her son to God’s service.
Matthew 2:11—the Magi
from the east gave great gifts to Jesus.
Matthew 25:14-17—two
servants’ actions and gifts were acceptable.
Luke 21:1-4—a poor widow
gave to God all she had to live on.
Negative
Biblical Gifts
Genesis 4:3-5—Cain’s
gifts were not acceptable because of attitude.
Matthew 25:18—the one
talent servant’s actions were not acceptable.
Acts 5:1-2—Ananias and
Sapphira lied about their gifts to God and died.
Considerations
For Gifts
What level of sacrifice
do you wish to give?
Is your vow something you
already have been doing for some time?
Is your vow something
“quick and easy” for you?
Considerations
For Gifts
Is your vow difficult for
you to fulfill? Is it a challenge?
Is your vow something you
have wanted to do for a long time, but haven’t?
Will your vow make a
major impact on your health and wellness, or have little or no effect?
Think
Before You Vow
In John 14:1-12 Herod
promised (vowed) to give Heordias’ daughter anything she wanted for dancing for
him and his guests. He was distressed
when she asked for the head of John the Baptist. He reluctantly kept his promise and John was
beheaded. What
would it take for you to break your vow to God?
In Judges 11:30 Jephthah
vowed to God if he was victorious in battle he would sacrifice as a burnt
offering whatever came out of the door of his house when he returned. He won the battle. Upon his return his daughter ran out of the
house. He kept his vow. What would it
take for you to break your vow to God?
Scriptures
To Study
Psalm 51:17
Proverbs 3:5-6; 9:12, 17;
14:23; 18:16; 21:5-6
Isaiah 1:13
Matthew 10:8
Luke 23:46
Romans 6:23
II Corinthians 8:12;
9:6-7
Ephesians 2:8-9
Philippians 4:18
Colossians4:5
I Timothy 4:7
Hebrews 11:4
James 2:18; 5:16
I Peter 4:13
Pitfalls
Of Failure
If you were to break your
vow:
What might cause it?
What circumstances could arise?
To whom would you talk to before breaking your vow?
Being aware of possible
pitfalls will help you succeed. Know the
answers for yourself, because Satan knows them.
Decision Time
Do changes in your life need
to be made to improve your wellness?
If so, which changes need to
occur?
Which changes are you willing
to vow to God that you are going to make?
Do you understand the
seriousness of making a vow to God?
1. Pray first— God
answers prayer.
2. Sign your commitment
form and turn it in.
3. Engage in a ceremony
of your choice.
4. Seek encouragement
from others.
5. Express your
thankfulness to God often.
The gift is important,
but your attitude is very important.
Making a vow isn’t about
you it’s about God.
God will use your gift to
His advantage.
What is your level of
trust?
The form on the next page is
to be used for your vow to God. Feel
free to copy it for a friend if you are your friend’s sponsor. As a sponsor you must go over all materials
with your friend so he or she understands the full impact of making a vow. Stress the importance and value of the
ceremony.
Victory
Of Wellness(V.O.W.)
I
thank and honor God for the blessings in my life, and I vow (promise) to
improve my personal wellness through the actions described below. Upon the completion of my commitment I will
reevaluate my vow to determine if I am willing to continue. Consider Deuteronomy 23:21-23:
“21If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow
to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will
be guilty of sin. 22But if you refrain
from making a vow, you will not be guilty.
23Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your
vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.”
My
vow is in effect between the dates of to
I
have completed my personal ceremony
acknowledging my commitment to God.
Signature
Date
Please check appropriate box: Male Female
Name of sponsor who presented
this program to you
SELF-DISCIPLINES
Write statements below in
which you are willing to make changes to honor and thank God indicating your
vow to Him. Write for as many areas as
you need. You may add additional vows
later, but removing one after beginning is not acceptable. Feel free to add vows of your own for areas
not included in this list. Consider
Proverbs 20:25:
“It is a trap
for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.”
Self-control -
Expectations -
Lifestyle -
Fellowship -
(over)
Distress -
Instant-gratification -
Spirituality -
Commitment -
Intelligence -
Persistence -
Laughter -
Intrinsic -
Nutrition -
Exercise -
Sleep -
Other
vows -
Check here to indicate any vow that is too personal to list, but that
you have had a discussion and prayer time with God and He knows the change(s)
in your lifestyle you are vowing to make.
Congratulations on your trust in God to
see you through!