“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10 (NKJV)
Food is a BLESSING from the Lord, but for a variety of reasons it is being misused and abused resulting in a national epidemic of “lifestyle” diseases. Furthermore, a hurting world is reaching out to find ways to fill emotional hunger and anesthetize pain. Many of us allow food to take an inappropriate role when we use it as a substitute for our relationship with other people and/or God. The lack of God in peoples’ lives has left a void which cannot be filled no matter how much sex, alcohol, drugs or food is used. Millions have developed an emotional or addictive relationship with food.
The Church may be at particular risk for the consequences of food abuse because Christians believe that promiscuous sex, alcohol and drug abuse are sinful and grievous offenses. However, legitimate needs go unmet and people often turn to the “legitimate” comfort of food. Meanwhile, a national obsession with food, body image, diets, and an epidemic of eating disorders are robbing our nation--and the Church--of its physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
There is also a lot of misinformation in nutrition and weight-loss, often from self-proclaimed “experts”. People need clarity in an area that has become confused with opinions, half-truths, and contradictions. God's way is Perfect and it is only by receiving and being obedient to His truth that we can attain complete Healing and live His best plan for our lives. My prayer is that while I share from my professional and personal experience the Holy Spirit will speak to the issues with which the reader may be dealing. If even one reader receives the truth, and by the truth is set free, then this blog has served its purpose:
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’"
John 8:31-32 (NIV)
And yes, yes, yes, the N.E.W. LIFE program, the N.E.W. LIFE e-book, and what I share in the Seed blog is very effective for weight-loss. But God’s plan goes FAR beyond just losing weight. In fact, the reason why N.E.W. LIFE is so effective for weight-loss is precisely because we take the focus off of weight and put it on behavior and relationship with God instead. N.E.W. LIFE stands for Nutrition, Exercise Wellness for LIFE—notice there’s no “diet” in the name. My prayer is that the words I share and the work of the Holy Spirit will help every reader to break any “diet mentality” that may be present. A diet mentality is in direct opposition to God’s Word, so it is no wonder that it leads to even more bondage and results in physical, emotional and spiritual havoc in so many lives. Diets are based on “man’s law” instead of God’s law, and even God’s holy law can only show us where we fall short. The law shows us what is required but has no power to help us do it. It is the job of the Holy Spirit, a gift of a deposit in those who have received Jesus Christ, to make happen what the law says should happen but doesn’t have the power to make happen. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become free from bondage, walk in optimal health, and live an abundant life. As pastor Tony Evans has so eloquently said, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to bring the promises of God into your life. And from the apostle Paul:
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. . . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:16-18, 22-25 (NKJV)
Are you beginning to see how your relationship with God, and walking in the Spirit, is where you will find the power to overcome the desires and fleshly behaviors which you may be in bondage to?
I speak from experience (check out "My Story"). I am completely free from the 5-tier, 15 year, unrelenting bondage I was in to food, diets, body image, exercise and the scale. I can sleep in the same house as Haagen-Dazs ice cream through the night (whereas before I had to keep it out of the house but would often go out and get it in the middle of the night). Now I forget to eat in situations that have been far more painful than the ones that had me bingeing for 15 years straight. When I was facilitating a Christ-centered support/recovery group and I shared a painful situation I was going through one of the women asked me, “Did you eat?” and I was the most amazed person on earth that I actually forgot to eat! When God Heals He really Heals.
Freedom from food/body image obsession is available to everyone. All agree that the problem involves physical and emotional factors. However, the spiritual component is just as important as the first two (if not more) and, if left out, the professionals are right--we can get better, but not necessarily free. True freedom results in being able to grieve the pain of life rather than turning to the “aid” of food to “cope”. Often that healing requires forgiveness which, without God, is virtually impossible for many people who have experienced so much horrendous offense.
There are two reasons (at least) why it is important that you determine to walk with God through the process of healing from pain and any bondage to emotional eating that may have developed. First of all, if you have replaced a relationship with God with a relationship with food, it’s time to repent and get that right. Furthermore, when He leads the process He doesn’t miss a step, so the result is freedom (rather than a lifetime of constant setbacks) because He really Heals. And it starts with the first turning-point step with Him. I remember the exact moment 30 years ago that I stood in front of the refrigerator and, for the first time, felt “conviction” rather than the 15 years straight of “condemnation”. I didn’t realize it then, but now I know that was the Holy Spirit, and that was a powerful work of God. It was the key turning point from self-condemnation to self-acceptance (instead of 15 years of feeling “you terrible, slovenly, lack of willpower person” I was coming out of denial and recognizing “something is obviously wrong”, though I could not yet tell you what it was). I finally said to myself that something was obviously wrong, but I could not label the pain. All I knew was that I felt anxious if I did not eat. The difference was (and this was the turning point from going continually downhill to beginning the process up and out of the eating disorder) self-acceptance (notice I didn’t say “self-esteem”). I felt conviction instead of the condemnation I had been under up until then. That was the key turning point—conviction is from the Holy Spirit, condemnation is from the enemy.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . .”
Romans 8:1 (NIV)
The reality is if you suffer from emotional eating driven by unresolved issues, in order to become free of the bondage to emotional eating (and the toll it is taking on your life) it will likely involve healing from pain. I define freedom as being able to grieve the pain of life without the aid of food to “cope”. Real life involves both pain and joy. With God’s Grace we can deal with the pain. I don’t think He meant for food (or drugs, or alcohol, or promiscuous sex) to take that role. Think about it—wouldn’t that mean we might just as well become an alcohol or drug addict and be excused for the same reason?
For those readers who are not emotional eaters, with some encouragement, nutrition education and perhaps some accountability and support you will probably be able to change behaviors and maintain healthy eating and lifestyle habits for the rest of your life. For those who are emotional eaters, it is likely you will not be able to achieve permanent weight management and freedom from bondages to food/body image obsessions until underlying issues are resolved and your relationship with God begins to replace your relationship with food.
I hope that everyone will find encouragement and help in the Seed posts. May God bless you with good health and the abundant life that Jesus came to give you.
For more encouragement to grow in your relationship with God and your journey of good health check out the N.E.W. LIFE e-book which includes the N.E.W. LIFE Eating Plan and additional nutrition information.
God bless your journey with Him!
Your Christian dietitian and friend in Christ,
Diane
No comments:
Post a Comment