There are times when I have eaten something, even within my boundaries (Thin Within principles such as eating between hunger and satisfaction), and I will feel guilty for eating whatever that particular food was. It probably goes back to my dieting days of the food labeling (the “good”, the “bad”, and the ugly). Recently, I was tired of the guilty feelings that were attaching themselves to what I was eating, so I sat down and typed out some questions to quickly renew my mind with when the thoughts would come. These are some questions to ask yourself ad renew your mind with when you are feeling guilty about what you have eaten.
Feeling guilty about what I ate:
Why do you feel guilty?
Where is this guilt coming from (satan, diet, friend, etc)?
Did you eat the food within your boundaries? If not, what could you do different next time you are tempted to break a boundary?
What does God say about this situation?
What happens when you believe the lie? What is your habitual response?
How does God want you to respond?
What do you need to accept?
What can you thank God for in this situation?
Colossians 2:20-23 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 15:11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
If you are familiar with Barb Raveling’s I Deserve a Donut (app and book), these types of questions may look similar. When you ask yourself these questions, the Lord will expose the lie and reveal truth. I notice when I answer these questions and meditate on these scriptures, it helps settle me down and peace returns.
There are times when I need questions to help renew my mind that are about these specific circumstances, such as feeling guilty about a particular food I have eaten. Diets teach us that there are “good” and “bad” foods, and I no longer want to be under a law that says, “taste not, touch not” (Colossians 2:21). There are no moral values attached to food.
I hope these questions are helpful to you. I have a few other sets of questions that have been helpful to me as well that I will share at another time in other posts.
Are there any other sets of questions that would be helpful to you? Let me know and maybe I could come up with some questions.
CHIRP! The purpose of smoke alarms in our home is to let us know there is smoke hot enough, born from a fire, and that we need to get out! The alarms tell us to find safety, and that our lives are endangered. Their purpose is to save lives. So when a smoke alarm’s battery runs low, it lets us know that we need to change the battery with an annoying, inconsistent, “chirp!” That little chirp means, “If you don’t take care of this now, I’m just going to get more and more obnoxious. And if you fail to change my battery, I won’t be able to help you in case of an emergency.” In reference to our Thin Within journey of finding freedom from the control of food, there are situations (“fire”) that arise (like smoke rising), that sets off the “renewing-of-the-mind” alarm saying CHIRP!–YOU NEED TO RENEW YOUR MIND!
Last week, a smoke alarm in our house was chirping at me and letting me know its battery needed to be changed. The chirping sound is not something one can easily ignore. And the longer I put off changing the battery, the more often it chirped. I believe life has these same “chirps”, letting us know something needs to change or be recharged. From this chirping episode, the Lord showed me that there are “chirps” and alarms that go off in our life telling us that we need to change something. He showed me that there are things that tell me I need to stop and renew my mind.
Some of the “alarms” could be anything that trigger overeating or disorder in our eating. Maybe it’s after a stressful day and you just want to come home, grab the cookie jar, plop your feet up on your recliner, and shovel in the cookies. Maybe it’s finding out some upsetting news and you drive to the nearest fast-food drive-thru, knowing full-well that you are going to “super-size” and try to numb yourself with food. Maybe you put your jeans on and they are a little tighter than you remember and you feel tempted to try that new diet your friends were talking about. There are hundreds of things that can trigger our own personal out-of-order eating experience.
What kind of “smoke” sets off your alarm for needing to “recharge” or to renew your mind?
You aren’t hungry, but those brownies are screaming your name!! CHIRP!
You are at a “5”, but you really want another serving of salad from the buffet. CHIRP!
You ate an entire package of Oreos. CHIRP!
You want to eat your way through your emotions. CHIRP!
You weighed yourself and you gained. CHIRP!
You know what’s so cool about renewing our mind? Because, ultimately, it’s the LORD who does the work! Even recently, the Lord has been reminding me that I am transformed through HIS work, not me behaving better or making all of the perfect choices. It’s GOD! That revelation is oh so freeing!
Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
When you hear a CHIRP!, renew your mind! Grab your Bible, your truth cards, your journal, or get up and have a dance praise fest! Or use whatever tools or ways that work for you to put on God’s truth!
How about you? What’s setting off your “renewing-of-the-mind” alarm? Are you trying to overcome by your own strength and will-power? Christ said that we can do all things through His strength! Let’s strengthen our spiritual muscles by getting into His Word! Do you need to change your “battery” by renewing your mind?
Last year, I joined a weekly Bible study at a local church. On the first day, I sat in the lecture hall and waited excitedly to receive my study book and instructions. I was (not pleasantly) surprised that the very first thing to happen was not an introduction of the leaders. Instead, the words to a song appeared on the screen in the front of the room and everyone stood to sing….without accompaniment. “Oh, this is not good”, I thought. See, I love music and I love to sing – in private! I have been self conscious of my singing voice since I was a child. And I really thought that I would not like this aspect of the Bible study – at all. In addition to my lack of confidence in singing, I also was not a huge fan of praise music. I enjoyed the music during Sunday worship, but I would choose almost any other kind of music or talk radio while driving.
Well, within a month, God had changed my heart so much about music that it is now one of my favorite things about my time in the Bible study. I started downloading the songs I liked and I began to listen to praise music in the car. The Bible study leader’s favorite song that year was “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns. This song became my anthem as I participated in the Renewing of the Mind study with Heidi last March.
Per her recommendation, I created a Renewing of the Mind playlist on my phone/ipod that continues to grow. I have found that the melodies and words get stuck not only in my head, but in my heart as well. I listen to my list as I prepare meals, exercise, drive, and sometimes as I get ready for the day.
Is it strange to think of music as a way to renew our minds? Here’s how I see it. Much of Christian music is based on scripture. When I am listening to the words or singing along:
1) I am praying God’s Word to Him. We are told “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
2) My mind is hearing the Truth of God’s Word, learning about His character, and absorbing how He relates to His people.
3) The words of scripture, the Truth, are settling in my heart. I am marinating in and meditating on His Word. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. “(Psalm 119:11)
4) I can use the Truths from music during a time of temptation. It is sometimes easier to call up the Truth in music than something I have memorized without music. Think about all of the things in school you learned set to a tune – the alphabet, continents song, my daughter learned about igneous rock set to the Addams family song! In temptation, I use many tools – Truth cards, the Bible, prayer, getting on my knees, TW scripture cards, and music.
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. “(2 Cor 10:1)
5) It is a form of worship. Think of singing songs about and to God as a “God List” set to music. Again, it reminds us of God’s character and His relationship with us.
How About You?
I’d love to see us share the songs that we enjoy and the ones that help us in our journey with the Lord.
Your favorites may include gospel, hymnals, Southern gospel, current praise, or even secular music that speaks to you of God. I’ll start. ☺
Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns,
I Have a Song, Christ in Me, really anything by Shannon Wexelberg
Whom Shall I Fear, Our God, The Name of Jesus by Chris Tomlin
True Things, Your Hands, All I Need (many others) by JJ Heller (folksy)
In Christ Alone feat Kristian Stanfill
Born Again by Third Day
Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone, You are Holy by Michael Smith
Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Sometimes I feel like I’m a broken record when it comes to sharing how important I feel renewing our mind is when it comes to overcoming overeating, the diet mentality, releasing weight, having a “healthy” relationship with food, etc. But honestly, renewing my mind has made a huge difference! I tried to be a normal eater for many years, but it never stuck. I believe it was because I was working on changing the external so much that I was ignoring what was going on internally, mostly in my mind and emotions. When Heidi first introduced Barb Raveling’s Renewing of the Mind Weight Loss study in March of 2013, something finally clicked in me. I knew it would work because I have seen the same concepts applied to other areas of my life with success—all because of God’s Word transforming me from the inside out.
There are several ways I can spend time renewing my mind. I can: journal, read through the ‘I Deserve a Donut’ app (or book), read through my truth cards, or a mixture of those. I know that renewing my mind is a critical part of overcoming.
The other day, I started reading through Barb Raveling’s book Taste for Truth: A 30 day Weight Loss Bible Study. She talks about how back in the Old Testament days that people would run to strongholds to be safe from their enemy. David talks about going to God as his refuge and stronghold. But some turn to things that turn into strongholds in their lives, such as food.
About a week ago the enemy was questioning me about why I take the time to renew my mind (why do I even listen?). And to be honest, he is still assaulting me about it, but I’m seeing the truth in the matter more and more. Today, the Lord has been reminding me about how taking the time to renew my mind has been vital for me as I have walked through different things in my life.
For example, years ago, I struggled a lot with fear. It was the kind of fear that made me afraid to even step outside my door or open my kitchen blinds. We lived next to neighbors that made me uneasy. Nothing ever happened, but the enemy had me convinced that this fear was real in my life.
FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real
One night, I had the opportunity to go to a women’s Bible study, but because of this fear, I could not bring myself to walk the few feet from our door to our car. I was always tense, stressed, and had knots in my stomach. I felt paralyzed by this fear. It was bad! It was so hard for my mind to work through the lies that were holding me captive. This went on for many months.
Finally, the Lord was able to get my attention enough to encourage me to write out scriptures on notecards about His truth about fear and peace. I also printed scriptures in really big font and different colors on 8-1/2×11-inch paper and taped them up in different parts of my house, like on my kitchen cupboards for instance. The kitchen was one of those rooms that I felt afraid to be in because of the location near my neighbor’s house. It was the perfect place for me to stop, read those scriptures, and renew my mind. I read through the scripture cards each morning and whenever I needed them. I also asked for prayer from a group of believers I had grown to trust.
Over time, the Lord began to break down those strongholds of fear. I would wake up in the morning, and without even trying to remember, the scriptures I was reading throughout the day would come to my mind. The Lord spoke His truth to me and after a while I was free from that fear! Praise the Lord! I chose to take my eyes off the fear and see God’s word and promises. He freed me!
He’s been showing me that He can do the same with how I look at food, eating, my body, etc. He can tear down the stronghold just as he tore down the stronghold of fear in my life. The truth has always been there, but I have to do my part in being in the Word. He does the rest. And if it takes me filling a whole journal of conversations with the Lord about food, then so be it. The Lord knows I have filled other journals with other struggles—which I have overcome, all thanks to Him! Renewing our mind may feel like “work”, but if we don’t take the time to take those thoughts captive, we will continue to be slave to the wrong thoughts.
Earlier this year the enemy wanted me to believe that certain types of food would kill me and that if I ate them that I was tempting God. A scripture He showed me to refute that lie is 1 Timothy 4:4-5, which says, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.”
Another lie was that people would be disappointed in me if I truly ate all foods and wasn’t following some special diet. The Lord gave me 1 Corinthians 10:29: For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?
When my mind wasn’t at ease, the Lord gave me peace through 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God did not give me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
Recently, when the enemy has urged me to give up, the Lord gave me Hebrews 10:39: But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Those are just a few examples of how the Lord has exposed the lie and replaced it with His truth. These are scriptures in my truth cards that I read each day. The enemy wants me to be caught up in his lies, but the Lord wants me to be free in His truth. That’s why I take the time to renew my mind.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
How about you?
I know we are about to embark on the Thin Within Workbook study (starting Monday, January 6, 2014), and I believe Heidi is going to incorporate ‘renewing our mind’ into the study. I just want to encourage you to make renewing your mind a part of your journey in overcoming. Surround yourself with whatever tools you deem necessary to help you. It will be different for each person. I look at having these tools as weapons in our arsenal to combat the lies of the enemy and to free us.
These tools can include:
Bible
Truth cards
‘I Deserve a Donut’ app and/or book by Barb Raveling
Taste for Truth by Barb Raveling
Thin Within by Judy Halliday
Thin Within workbooks
Personal journal
Praise music
Scripture cards
God list
List of thanksgiving
There are so many possibilities of what may be in your toolbox to help renew your mind. If you feel overwhelmed by having too many tools, ask the Lord to help you simplify. This shouldn’t feel overwhelming. We aren’t trading bondage for bondage. If you don’t have peace about something, don’t do it. The Lord wants to free you!
On Mondayand Tuesday, I posted parts 1 and 2in this series. Today is the final installment. Evening eating is one of the things that many of us struggle with–it is that “bewitching hour” between dinner and bed-time. Often the kids head off to bed and we want the reward for a day well done! Or conversely, we are lonely and want to comfort ourselves. Whatever the primary reason is for giving in to eating in the evening when we aren’t hungry, we can FIGHT the lies we believe with truth. I have been sharing my truth cards with you this week. I hope it is helpful. I would love to know what other truths you use to fight the lies that lead to night-time eating. What you share may help one of the people who visits this blog! 🙂
My enjoyment of my family/husband is NOT dependent on my eating with them when I am not hungry.
If my husband or kids start munching on something in the evening, there is nothing that says I have to join them. I can relish their company even more when I focus on them instead of the food. I wonder what it is that has created the lie that fellowship is equated with eating in our minds? It certainly doesn’t need to be that way. I can absolutely enjoy my family members without eating!
My enjoyment of movies, games, etc., in the evening does not hinge on eating too!
This is another lie that I tend to believe…that if we watch Netflix or play a game together that it is made all the better by eating. Truthfully, I feel like my conscience kicking into overdrive and the physical misery I end up in diminishes the enjoyment of the food AND the movie or game that I might be enjoying (AND the company of my husband and kids!).
I can RELISH the precious hours before bed and TOTALLY enjoy them—ALL THE MORE when I don’t blast through my boundaries and eat outside of 0 and 5.
This gets back to yesterday’s truths as well…that it FEELS SO WONDERFUL to be tender hearted to my boundaries. Don’t you think? Those hours before bed when I am not hungry are made so much more rich…so much more of a blessing when I don’t defy my conscience!
How About You?
Do these truths sound like they might work for you? How might you amend them to be more applicable? When do you use your truth cards for the most victory?
