I am one that typically doesn’t like to beat around the bush. It just never seems to serve any purpose but to massage away truth, so why do it?
Today’s lesson in The Lord’s Table workbook hits the nail on the head.
For the years that I carried 100 pounds of extra weight, I don’t think I would have been terribly receptive to the message shared in the lesson in TLT today. In fact, in spite of my being somewhat direct usually, I hesitate sharing it on the blog here. I know that many who come along to this blog will see this entry as their first exposure possibly to Thin Within…
Rather than having anything I post here be used to heap condemnation on the soft-hearted sojourner, I want to remain sensitive to the tender one who is earnestly seeking the Lord (possibly through tears…) about how to break free from habitual struggles with overeating and lethargy.
Someone reading this feels emprisoned in their body…she wants so desperately to break out. The last thing I want is for anything posted here to be used of the enemy to add yet more shackles of shame or guilt to the prison…The Lord has blown the door of the prision cell!
In a nutshell, a summary of today’s lesson in TLT workbook…
Those of us struggling with our weight often are dealing with…well, very specifically…with gluttony and laziness.
Ouch.
Gluttony and laziness are sins for which
Jesus was crucified, and from which we can become completely free, by His grace. (TLT, p. 164)
I hope you hear the above message! YES, these are sins like many others (gossip, slander, stealing, drunkenness, etc)…but we can ALL be free! Jesus died for ALL sins and the shame of the sin as well. We can become completely, 100% FREE! Do you believe this? Do I?
In our society we don’t often hear this message that struggling with weight is *often* (not always) a result of gluttony and laziness. Instead, we consider the habits that lead us to being miserable in our bodies a “nuisance” or as if we are “victims” instead of sinful people all in need of a Savior.
But that is the point! We don’t need to feel beat up about this! Instead of being hammered into the ground as worthless and rotten (a lie from the pit of hell), we are esteemed so highly by the GOD of the UNIVERSE that He gave His Son so that we might experience victory over EVERYthing that plagues us and rise above all our earthly struggles!
This is GREAT news! Denying our state does nothing to help us. Calling it something else…an “addiction,” a “condition,” whatever…it doesn’t change us. Acknowledging that we are beggars in need of bread makes all the difference in the world. In humility, I can come to the Lord and receive the FEAST for my SOUL that He has provided through Jesus’ offering on the cross for me.
He died for me to be free from ALL sin! Oh, let him not die in vain!
Yes – laziness has been a huge part of my struggle with overeating. In fact, I’m feeling like eating right now to avoid doing what I should be doing! I’ve been trying not to eat breakfast and lunch until I’m hungry, and it’s really hard – especially breakfast because that’s the perfect way for me to avoid working on my to-do list! (Unfortunately, the computer is another way of avoiding my to-do list – as you can see I’m on it right now rather than working.)
This post about greed just naturally follows your last post about really, honestly seeing ourselves when we look … Honestly acknowledging what we do, rather than euphemistically label our behaviors as ‘addiction’. Although I disagreed with WD’s spiritual perspective, I appreciated that they didn’t hesitate to call overeating ‘greed’. That really offended WD members who didn’t follow the program and lose weight. However, I appreciated the honest view of my habits. In my heart I knew that my bingeing habit was motivated by greed. I wanted to change that habit. I never wanted to believe my habits were caused by a ‘disease’ or ‘bulimia’. I also loved the booklet Gwen Shamblein wrote about used extremly ‘disorded’ eating habits, like starving, bingeing and purging. HOWEVER, I disagreed with WD’s spiritual perspective. I needed God’s GRACE, which TW so explicitly described and endorsed. In order to accept ‘straight talk’, I needed reassurance of God’s pardon, because I couldn’t forgive myself for years of bingeing, God’s presence, because I needed to turn to Him, rather than food for comfort, His power to overcome well-established ‘greedy’ eating habits, and His provision, because I needed support from others who struggled as I struggled with disordered eating and help to see my struggle in a different way.HONESTY WITH GRACE … helps me observe and correct my greedy eating habits on a daily basis.
Gluttony and laziness are sins for whichJesus was crucified, and from which we can become completely free, by His grace. (TLT, p. 164)In every Bible I have in the house, gluttony and laziness is highlighted. In every single journal I have, somewhere inside those pages are me crying out to God for forgiveness for gluttony and laziness. They go hand in hand, and separately! I love what Barb wrote, feel like eating to avoid doing what she needs to be doing! That was me to a nut shell. My journal entries now, I specificially pray Friday morning to help me through the weekends. While others cry out TGIF, I cringe, since laziness kicks up 110degrees. God has been setting me free from this, as He has with gluttony. Praise and glory to God.I know when I’m sharing with the ladies at my Bible Study and I talk about the word gluttony, some just don’t want to hear about it, or laziness. “I don’t eat that much” “I’m so busy all the time, you can’t call me lazy”. (hmmmmm,ok,,been to your house, AND your obese).Praise God He has taught me to speak in love and not from the flesh,lol. Thank You Jesus!gotta go,,dealing with issues at home,,lol
The Bible is NEVER wrong. I can definitely see a correlation between being unable to release this excess weight and my gluttony and laziness. Thank you Lord for dying for all sins, even these. Open my eyes to your truth.Great post Heidi and I appreciate the tender was it was presented.May God bless you with a Happy New Year. When I count my blessings, I count you.
Heidi, it’s so ironic about the comment I wrote here and just a few hours later, one of the ladies from my bible study called. She shared about her struggles, become more agitated as she talked. I finally asked her, ‘have you been spending time in God’s Word’. The answer was no. I told her about this comment I made on your blog, and how her and the other ladies were going to here me speak to them in 2009, not only as an encourager, but a ‘sharpener’. I said, in love, ‘ I know you have to clean your house, work, do laundry, etc, etc, but IF your not spending time with the Word of God, your not going to have peace and strength to go about your day. You MUST put Him first. What’s 15 minutes a day first thing in the morning. That’s NOTHING. Don’t you think He can do for you like He did for the widow when elijah asked for her last meal that her and her son were going to eat and than die? Don’t you think God will ‘stop’ time by spending time with Him, and than be able to accomplish all that needs to be done in your day?HE MUST be first. You will NEVER be set free, never move forward until you do this’. Her words to me “I’m so glad I called you, I needed this”.You sharpened me in this post to speak to this woman in love, to let her know that we MUST stop making excuses for our sins. thank you beloved sister…Happy New Year..((hugs))
Hi, everyone. Barb…that is a good point. Eating is a distraction from the things God calls me to do, too. So is the computer.Sue, I see greed in the way I approach food, even when I am at a zero. It is very revealing to me.Paula, it was neat to see another vlog from you today. I pray that you experience HIS sufficiency and strength as you are satisfied in and by Him.Angela, way to go to be a doer of the word!