I’m a promoter of good health. I love to inspire women to begin making good food and fitness choices. I talk about how good health is not only beneficial for our body, but our mind. Good health alone, in our flesh, still leaves our spirit unhealthy. An unhealthy, sin-craved spirit leaves our outward appearance wanting.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
My flesh is weak. Your flesh is weak. But the Spirit… being filled with Him, will make you strong. So many times I make excuses for my poor eating habits. I say poor eating habits, but it is really gluttony… loving and indulging in food rather than being satisfied by my Heavenly Father.
As I was reading Lysa Terkeurst’s book, What Happens When Women Walk In Faith, this morning, a few things she said struck me:
1) To honor God completely, you need enough faith to leave with Him.
Leave the attitude, the stubborn pride, the right to be right, the control, and leave the unbelief.
2) Stop making excuses about why you can’t.
Jeremiah 1 talks about God’s calling on his life and how Jeremiah says, “but I’m only a child”. So many times I make excuses about why I can’t eat healthy and succeed in this weight loss journey.
3) Leaving requires obedience.
Leaving is usually an act of obedience and not a desire of the heart! It is hard. It causes you to step outside of your comfort zone and enter a life that requires faith. This hit home! For me, avoiding sugar, flour and caffeine makes me feel so much better. I know it. It has be proven to me time and time again. Yet, my flesh longs for it. It craves sugar and I tell myself I deserve to enjoy it. Really? What does my flesh really deserve? Nothing! I like what she says about it not being a desire of the heart but first an act of obedience.
Your struggles may not be food-related but we all have them. Why are you continually pampering your flesh? Will you have faith and honor god? Will you stop making excuses? Will you make the choice to obey today?
How can I pray for you today? Let’s choose to say YES TO GOD, and stop making excuses about why we can’t!
Thanks for visiting!
Thank you for sharing this. Food is a big struggle for me. Each day I wake up every morning and start the battle again over fleshly desires and what I know God wants. With my health it’s something I can’t ignore. I sure could use prayer in this area. Thanks Traci!
I needed to read this, Traci. Do you really feel better without caffeine too?
My physical limitations do not allow me to exercise that much, (which I know helps with mental clarity and energy levels.)
Traci,
I was so blessed and encouraged to read this today! I am in the middle of this struggle and can really use your prayers on this topic. Yes! I do pamper my flesh and don’t even realize how I “talk myself into” so many things that are so bad for me. My desire is to hear God’s voice so clearly in this arena of my life that I awake eager to follow how He leads instead of being led by my flesh. I so appreciate this word, thanks for your prayers!
Melissa
Traci,
I too am working on this too. You said it so well! This book is on my to buy list. I am praying to crave more and more of Him instead of things of the flesh and only doing and eating things that bring Him Glory. I will pray for you on your journey and would appreciate your prayers on my journey in this as well.
Hi Traci! I have admitted my weakness to God and others. I recently signed up for Weight Watchers and am actually grieving over food. I am starting a “healthy living” series on my blog, to run March and April. I have about 12 guest writers lined up and would LOVE to add you to the mix. My readers need to know these truths. Feel free to get in touch with me if you are interested, but no pressure.
One year for Lent I gave up saying YES to myself. I had discovered it wasn’t just food I said yes to, it was also yes to wasting time, or yes to you can have your God time later, or yes, you can work on your abs tomorrow, etc., etc. I had a new awareness of my own self indulgence and even greediness. I didn’t think much between “I want…” and “Yes!”This definitely had the effect of me saying many more “Yesses” to God!