This lesson reviews some vital aspects of The Lord’s Table program. I won’t rehash the way the lesson is written here, but will share the three fundamental principles that TLT says are needed to experience freedom from overeating. If you have read my entries on TLT, this will be clear already. Reviewing serves to clarify, however. I wholeheartedly agree with these principles:
1.) Delight your Soul.
So often I have turned to food to be my delight. I am praying and actively seeking the Lord as my soul’s greatest delight. Honestly, participating in the Soul Revolution’s 60-60 experiment is dovetailing beautifully with this. I have set the timer on my watch for every 30 minutes. When it goes off, I reconnect with God, affirm His Lordship, stop sinning (if I am mid-stride into something that might dishonor him), pray for His will in the moment and in the moments to come…Practically, it helps me to really delight in the Lord. Feasting on the Word daily, memorizing it so that it comes to mind readily, journaling what He is teaching me…these are all ways that I can delight my soul in Him so that I am not so tempted to fixate on counterfeits (like food).
2.) Discipline Your Body
The hard truth is, I have to say NO to some things that my flesh wants. If I want a beautiful chair and can rationalize that it would be a great “quiet time chair” for me to snuggle up with my bible in the early mornings, I can’t just pull my truck up to the store and walk out with it. I have to say no to my flesh. If I am in a hurry and signal light after signal light has turned red, I can’t just go speeding on through. I have to say no to my flesh. Likewise, when my mind turns to food or I start to grab for something when I am not hungry, I have to say no to my flesh. Simply, there is no way to break free without saying no! This is a hard truth. I can honestly say, though, that the more I practice denying my flesh, the easier it gets. Each moment offers opportunity to make a choice. I can say NO to my flesh in this moment…capture it for the Lord and His will and His ways. When I do that, this one moment of denying myself is followed by dozens of moments rejoicing that He enabled me to be obedient and disciplined!
3.) Develop Daily Accountability
This is vital, I believe. I wrote about how to select an accountability partner just about a year ago. No matter where you are on this journey, I think this is vital. Two *are* stronger than one. There is just no way around it. Accountability is a biblical principle for all aspects of our lives. With an accountability partner, not only do we report in and receive loving encouragement, rebuke or praise, but we also are *prayed* for. We need this! If you want to break free from overeating or any habitual sin, you will want DAILY accountability!
A person could probably go through the appearances of having these three things in place in their life, but if the heart change is missing, it will all be for nothing.
Mike Cleveland says: The first step to victory is to seek the Lord for a heart change. We need to pray, “Lord, please remove my love for food, and replace it with a love for You. Help me to use food for it’s designed purpose, as that which sustains and nourishes the body. Please give me a new heart, according to Your promise in Ezekiel 36:26.” (TLT, p. 98)
Interesting to be led back to your post on accountability partners via your review, Heidi. Need to really do some serious thinking/praying re: this issue.