·
Isn’t it just like Satan to make us think we
have to have something to comfort us,
fill us, satisfy us, only to be haunted by the consequences of this comfort
later?
·
But I love what my friend Ruth Graham says about
traveling around the same mountain for far too long. “Either we can be
victimized and become victims, or we can be vicitimzed and rise above it. Often
it is easier to play the victim than take off our masks and ask for help. We
get comfortable with our victim status. It becomes our identity and is hard to
give up. The Israelites often played the victim card, and I love what God
finally tells them, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn
north” (Deuteronomy 2:3 NASB). Turn north! It’s time to move on! Self-pity,
fear, pride, and negativity paralyze us. Taking off our masks takes courage,
but if we don’t do it, we will remain in our victim status and end up stunted.”
·
Taking off my mask means I have to admit that
there’s a problem, and I really don’t want to do that. Admitting I have a
problem will likely require that I make changes, and changes are hard. Food
gives such an instant rush and tangible good feeling. It’s so much easier to
figure out how to get the short-term high of a cookie than it is to get a heart
filled up and satisfied with God.
·
Eventually, God broke through my worn-out heart.
A thought rushed through my mind and caught me off guard; I know you want me to change your circumstances Lysa. But, right now I
want to focus on changing you. Even perfect circumstances won’t satisfy you
like letting Me change the way you think.
·
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).
·
Whatever it is if we are really going to stop
circling the mountain and head north toward lasting changes, we have to empty
ourselves of the lie that other people or things can ever fill our hearts to
the full. Then we have to deliberately and intentionally fill up on God’s
truths and stand secure in His love.
·
Here are some examples of how I do that: Old lie: I need these Oreos. They will
fill me up with a chocolate high and taste so good. New Truth: The thought that these Oreos will fill me is a lie. They
will taste good for just the few minutes it will take to eat them. Then that
hollow feeling of guilt will rush in as soon as the chocolate high dissipates.
Do I want to eat right now because I need nourishment or because I’m feeling
empty emotionally or spiritually? If I truly need a snack right now I am
capable of choosing a healthier option. Favorite
Verse: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have
power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and
deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge –
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians
3:17-19)
Personal Reflections
1. Recall
a recent stressful experience that tempted you to overeat or make poor food
choices. What specific feelings did the experience elicit (for example: anger,
embarrassment, tension sadness anxiety grief)? The
temptation itself makes me angry and sad. Whether you resisted or gave into temptation
how were your emotions impacted as a result? When I’m
able to stand up to my temptation I am happy! But when I fail, I am frustrated
and angry with myself as well as mad that I have to be restrictive with others
don’t need to be.
2. When
you experience problems or difficult seasons in life, are you more likely to
put on a mask and pretend everything is ok or take off your mask and ask for
help? I put on a mask. I am a great pretender. L How has this tendency impacted your ability to
resist food temptations at such times? In public, I
can resist alright because people are watching me. Too keep them thinking
everything is ok, I have to be responsible. But when I’m alone, having that
mask gives me the wrong kind of freedom…
3. Discovering
how to pray without words helped Lysa to feel like she was connecting with God
something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Have you ever prayed this way, simply
spending time with God in silence and allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede on
your behalf (Romans 8:26)? I have not prayed this way
but wish I could. Too many times my mind won’t shut down from all my thoughts
to allow me to hear God speaking. Does this idea intrigue you or scare
you? It does intrigue me. When people say, “God told
me to do xyz” I don’t understand what they mean. How did God speak to you
because I never hear his voice or feel like He has made an impression in my
mind to direct me.
4. Lysa
demonstrates how she replaces old lies about food with new trust about God’s
love. In the course of a regular day, what old lies about food make it
difficult for you to resist temptation? The biggest
one is that nobody will know but me. Do hard times make these lies
harder to resist? Yes, its harder to resist when I
feel like nobody will know. Drawing on what the Bible teaches about
God’s love in Ephesians 3:17-19, 1 John 3:1 and Psalm 103:17, what new truths
might you use to replace your old lies? Ephesians
remind me that if I stay grounded in Christ, that I have the power of God in me
and he will fill me up. 1 John reminds me that I am a child of God. Psalm
reminds me that God’s love is with me.
5. “See,
I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (Revelations 3:*)
If God were to speak these words directly to you about your struggles with
food, what do you hope you would see and experience on the other side of the
door? I would hope I would experience true freedom on
the other side of the door. That I could just walk right through and not be
tempted by food any longer.
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