This New Year many of us have decided to venture out to be a healthier person. I too made some goals for myself to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier. As you may have found, this is so much easier said than done. I knew what my desired outcomes were, but I had no idea how to get there. Until one morning, I received quite a revelation that started me on a journey to make some real changes.
On this particular morning at the gym, while sitting at one of the workout machines, I caught an unpleasant glimpse of myself in the mirror. I really didn’t like what I saw. I had been in denial about the 15 pounds I had gained over the last year (in addition to my pregnancy weight), but now it was staring me right in the face. As I sat there looking at myself, I called out to the Lord in frustration, “God, do you know how long and hard I’m going to have to work to get this weight off! Once I get it off, please Lord, don’t let me gain it back!” Then the Holy Spirit simply responded, “So are you ready now to give it all up?” What? I knew that in order to meet my goals I was going to have to modify my eating habits, but what exactly did he mean by all? Surely he wasn’t talking about my morning Mocha… was he?
As I examined myself, I realized that my eating choices were not only unhealthy, but had become my source of pleasure, comfort, and fulfillment. I made them an idol in my heart before God. If I was really going to make some permanent changes, it had to start with repentance and surrender. I was also going to have to give my diet over to God and retrain my body how to eat well again.
Many of us struggle with different kinds of addictions or unhealthy habits. We adopt the belief that we need these things in our lives in order to survive, holding them as an idol. This keeps us from truly surrendering them to God. Only by complete surrender, will God then break the power that these things have over us.
Psalm 44:5-7
5 Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
I encourage you this year to start a journey in trusting God in areas that you feel defeated. There are countless testimonials both in the bible and out, of those who have put their hope in God and weren’t disappointed. Together, I hope that we do not just let others experience God’s faithfulness, but that we enter this voyage to discover it for ourselves.
Yes! Our struggles can help us to experience more of God’s grace, strength and faithfulness.
Thank you. This is confirmation that I need to re-train my body. How dangerous it can be if I look to food to give me pleasure! I’ve been re-training my body, also, and it is coming around. I am learning to hear what it is really saying, and not to go on “feelings.”