I struggle with junk food. Salt, sweet...doesn't matter I love it all. It's not healthy. It has no redeeming value for my body, yet I crave it, love it, devour it. I have to say, sometimes I do okay. I resist overeating the chips, the cupcakes or the pretzel with cheese...but not as often as I like, It's an addiction. I make excuses for overeating the bad stuff. I've tried replacing it with healthier alternatives...I've done programs, prayed, had success for short periods and yet still I falter time and time again. Frustrating, to say the least. To top it off, my husband is one of those people who can have a slice of cake and then walk away. UGH!!
So, I've been doing some reading and some thinking and I've come to the conclusion I am approaching this from the wrong direction. When the Lord freed me from cocaine, alcohol and cigarette addictions, I saw those for what they were....sins against the Lord. They were extremely damaging to my body, my relationships, and my life. It was a battle to let go of those things, I considered them, in a way, my friends. They made me happy, consoled me, fulfilled me, freed me to be me.....or so I thought. So, I'm thinking I need to put junk food in the same category.
I try to be one of those "normal" people like my husband...just a little and then quit. It doesn't work. When it comes to junk food I make gluttony the standard. Just like with my other addictions, I need to lay down the excuses and pick up the fight against this Goliath.
Now, for people like my husband, junk food is not sin. In and of itself, junk food is just food. It's not sinful. It has it's place for enjoyment. But it's the gluttony, the over indulgence, that drags a little salt and sugar into the sin category. This is the truth for my life. For me it's bondage, just like drugs were. Maybe food doesn't do this for you, but maybe something else does.
Galatians 5:22-24 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us, therefore, self-control is within us. Galatians 5:16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We have to choose to walk in the Spirit. For me, it's been easier just to give into my fleshly cravings. I forget that I battled (with Jesus as my strength) addiction before and won. I forget, it was hard then too, but through the power of God I was able to persevere.
Maybe some of you are facing addiction problems...in whatever area. Seeing that addiction as sin may help you to want to lay it down. When we look at these things as, "oh, it's just a habit," or "it's only my little struggle or my little indulgence." we allow it to go on unchecked, we allow it to enslave us, we allow it to separate from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
I am not writing this to shame anyone, or heap guilt upon us. This sin called addiction has been paid for by the blood of Christ for each of us. But I do want to help others recognize, like I need to recognize that certain behaviors are not "our little habit." They are things that are hurting us and things that God does not want us to continue in, they are sin. Overeating is a freedom stealer! I want to live a life of balance, a life of self-control. I don't take a drink now because even though I may be able to have just one, I don't take that chance. Perhaps I need to follow that path with junk food.
I hope and pray that when you read this, if you struggle like me, you will be motivated to freedom. With God, we got this!
Lord, thank You for showing me things in a new light. Help me and all of us to stay withing Your boundaries, for that is where our freedom is. If we need to see overeating or any other thing in our life as sin and therefore needing to go, show us. Lead us in breaking our chains and glorifying You in our bodies. We want to be strong and healthy to do the work You have for us! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
If this resonates with you, it's time to go to God in pray to find our why, what, and how.
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