Stop it.
You heard me!
I said STOP IT!
Stop what?
Well, I am just guessing, but…are you beating yourself up about something? Anything?
Here is a fact: No matter how horrible YOU may think it is, it isn’t horrible enough for the Lord God to endorse whatever self-flagellation you may be engaging in. So…stop it! 🙂
I have been studying my way slowly through the Bible. Right now, I have gotten to know Abraham a bit better than I knew him before and I am floored at really…he was kind of…well…not a man of great moral standing, humanly speaking. Yet God esteemed him. Abraham was considered righteous—why? Because of his faith (Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3). Not because of all the great things he did. That is a relief. I figure if God can call Abraham righteous and obedient even though he did a bunch of stuff that raised the eyebrows even of King Abimelech at the time, then wow…God probably isn’t condemning me either. I am in Christ and Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those in Christ! In fact, I know he doesn’t condemn me. And he doesn’t condemn you either.
See, this is why we want to get to know God’s TRUE character. If we think that he is like our earthly fathers (who aren’t perfect) or like some tyrannical dictator king person, we won’t want to surrender our lives to him. He isn’t like that. We have to know him as he is. When we do, we find our resistance diminishes. Our hearts are tendered. We want to give him whatever he may ask of us (including our extra food). And we don’t waste a bunch of time and energy beating ourselves up claiming we have “let God down” !!(He isn’t “held up” by any of us so he can’t be “let down!”)
So, let’s stop it. Let’s stop saying by our actions that his grace isn’t sufficient. Let’s stop saying that we need to be perfect to be acceptable, ok? (And while it is true that the same grace that brings salvation teaches us to say no to ungodliness [Titus 2:11, 12], this also is not an excuse to whip ourselves. Let’s get to know our God as He is, give ourselves to him, say no to sin, and love him with our choices, one babystep at a time!)
Effects my eating in a HUGE way! The more I condemn myself for how I'm eating the more I over eat! BTW – did you post this or link to it on the forums? I think you should! : )
Effects my eating in a HUGE way! The more I condemn myself for how I'm eating the more I over eat! BTW – did you post this or link to it on the forums? I think you should! : )
Heidi… What a relevant post for me today. Not releasing weight in a timely fashion, seesawing in recent days has me discouraged. Will commit, by God's grace, to stop and continue moving forward.
Heidi… What a relevant post for me today. Not releasing weight in a timely fashion, seesawing in recent days has me discouraged. Will commit, by God's grace, to stop and continue moving forward.
Hi, Lindsay. Here is the thing. We can't hate ourselves into change. You know? God himself doesn't try that strategy…I am not sure why *we* try to do it. :-(Hi, Julie. No, I haven't. But you can! 🙂 You are so right, too. The more I beat myself up and tell myself what a "sinful gluttonous whatever other horrible word I can think of" I am, the more I seem to act that way. I think that may be why Paul says on the heels of the Romans 7 discussion THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION! 🙂
Hi, Lindsay. Here is the thing. We can't hate ourselves into change. You know? God himself doesn't try that strategy…I am not sure why *we* try to do it. :-(Hi, Julie. No, I haven't. But you can! 🙂 You are so right, too. The more I beat myself up and tell myself what a "sinful gluttonous whatever other horrible word I can think of" I am, the more I seem to act that way. I think that may be why Paul says on the heels of the Romans 7 discussion THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION! 🙂
I'll post it tomorrow when I have time to get on the forums again!
I'll post it tomorrow when I have time to get on the forums again!
Hi Heidi…we are all such "self-condemmers". It is easy to start getting angry when we make a mistake…and then we figure we blew it so we might as well eat more…but if I instead observe and correct rather than condemn, I feel a release from that self-condemnation and instead a wave of happiness that God's grace is with me and I will listen to him next time this situation presents itself.
Hi Heidi…we are all such "self-condemmers". It is easy to start getting angry when we make a mistake…and then we figure we blew it so we might as well eat more…but if I instead observe and correct rather than condemn, I feel a release from that self-condemnation and instead a wave of happiness that God's grace is with me and I will listen to him next time this situation presents itself.
I memorized Romans 8 several years ago and it turned my heart and life upside down. Thank you for bringing it to my attention again. I would like to try to take the time to go through the chapter again in relation to my eating. As for Rom. 8:1…I need to stop beating myself up when I "blow it." I am in Christ. I have His righteousness. Gluttony is as any other sin-repent, confess, and move on…
I memorized Romans 8 several years ago and it turned my heart and life upside down. Thank you for bringing it to my attention again. I would like to try to take the time to go through the chapter again in relation to my eating. As for Rom. 8:1…I need to stop beating myself up when I "blow it." I am in Christ. I have His righteousness. Gluttony is as any other sin-repent, confess, and move on…
Senkyoushi…praying for you right now as you are moving back to the states! Praying that you sense his peace, presence, provision, and power! Cindy…you are SO right! To apply the Observation and Correction tool instead of self-condemning we cut off the enemy's tactic at the knees. GREAT POINT! Thanks!
Senkyoushi…praying for you right now as you are moving back to the states! Praying that you sense his peace, presence, provision, and power! Cindy…you are SO right! To apply the Observation and Correction tool instead of self-condemning we cut off the enemy's tactic at the knees. GREAT POINT! Thanks!