What power will we give the bathroom scale? This is something we each get to decide in the stillness of our hearts with the Lord. I urge you to consider, if you haven’t already done so, renewing your mind about the power you give the scale and what it “says.”
We also touched on this a bit in Week 3 when we looked at “Appearance Eating.”
Here at the blog since 2006, I have experienced quite the journey about whether or not I would have a bathroom scale in my home. I went about 4 years without a scale and it was wonderful! Before that, I was chained to it, looking to it for its approval. You can do a search here at the blog or use this link to have a look at my journey with the bathroom scale, if you like. Whatever your feelings about the bathroom scale, I am sure I have been there, too!
I am at a point now where I am able to have a bathroom scale (my husband wanted one) in the house and it doesn’t own me like it did before, but I am convinced that I needed it out of my life in order for me to have this freedom now.
How do you feel about the bathroom scale? Is it a tool for your use? Or is it a Master that you struggle with giving too much power over you? What can you do to have a “healthy” relationship with the bathroom scale? How can we help and support you?
When I create the audios and the videos, God speaks truth into MY life through the process. It reminds me of what is true and how great my God is. He uses my rambling on to you to remind me yet again of what is true and what He wants from me.
I hope that when I create the audios and the videos that you will have yet another modality for learning the stuff that God may want you to know. I hope that he uses it to breathe over you an enveloping peace, a saturating sense of his love, and a call to press on–to pursue holiness and excellence.
You may not agree with everything I say, but I do so hope that you will sense his invitation to intimacy with him and that he wants to use this struggle with food and eating as a forum in your life for a wonderful adventure of dependence on him.
This week, God has used my video and audio creating time to really minister to me. Does that sound just so selfish? As I speak the truth that he has given to me, then as I listen and evaluate, delete, re-record–whatever the process may be–he again and again bathes my mind with the truth. I hope it works that way for you as you listen or watch.
And if it is helpful to you to download the files and put them on your iPod to play, go right ahead and do that. I sure hope that doesn’t sound self-aggrandizing. I don’t mean it that way at all. I just know that, at least for me, every way possible that I can to create a way to bathe my mind with truth, is another step toward renewing my mind and experiencing the transformation promised in Romans 12:2.
This week, we looked at the premium we place on our appearance or weight loss in this journey. Barb has really gotten to the heart of a very important issue. I have an audio here talking about some thoughts I have about this aspect of our journeys. Just so you know, I am experimenting with a plug-in microphone, so I apologize for the fuzziness…the microphone was TOO close to my mouth for part of the recordings…I will improve on that in the future.
Entitlement is a poison that can taint our pursuit of godly character. It affects not only my eating, but my relationships as well. In this audio, I share some of the things that God laid on my heart about entitlement. I have found that this is a perfect example of how God uses this journey about food, eating and my body to show me character qualities he wants to build into my life generally and I invite you to consider that may be the very purpose he has us on this course.
How about you? What connection do you see between what God is doing in the realm of eating, weight, how you view food and your body and growing you into Christlike character on a broader scale? What is God showing you about this connection?
I was speaking with Judy on the phone about the upcoming first day of class I will be leading at our church. I am so nervous, it isn’t funny. I just need to lay it down at the Lord’s feet. This is NOT about ME…my fear of “messing up” is fixating my focus on ME. NOT ok…This is the LORD’s deal…and I WILL DELIGHT IN IT!!!
I described to Judy that after just a couple of days of no Oreos (my weakness food that I am fasting from for a season), I weighed and the scale surprised me…I am my lowest ever. Ok, I have long joked about how if I could just not eat Oreos (I eat them mixed with vanilla ice cream…and NEVER at a zero…but ALWAYS when I am NOT hungry!!!!), I would really know what God’s intended size for me is…but I didn’t really believe that it might be true! LOL!
So I shared the news with Judy that I was now a pound lower than my lowest weight since beginning, which was right after horse camp for a week–about 3 pounds lower than the beginning of this week. Are you tracking with me? She picked up on the fact that I weigh myself QUITE regularly…daily before I dress.This is a true confession…do any of you do this??? If so, I present you with what Judy presented me…
Upon hearing the description of the way I “use” the scale…which I thought was harmless enough…to “keep me honest” now that I have released (all? of) my weight…Judy told me I needed to “put the scale away”…I mean…she meant…AWAY. Like GONE…like no where NEAR.
Now I really didn’t feel that my use of the scale was inappropriate when I shared the story, or I wouldn’t have told her! LOL! Just being honest. No, not at all. I don’t let the scale dictate if I will have a good day or bad (or I haven’t so far). I truly do use it to keep me honest since my heart is prone to wander…I know from my dieting obsession years that weight can vary a LOT in one 24 hour period when it isn’t true fat weight…so I don’t let it beat me up it goes up or down…
But truthfully, as I think about it now, God’s Holy Spirit can keep me honest.
When Judy challenged me to put the scale away, my REACTION to her challenge is what concerned me. I was reminded that recently, I challenged someone to get rid of her Weight Watcher’s materials…and I encouraged her to evaluate her reaction to the thought of letting go of them, as I know that this can indicate when there is an ungodly idol in our lives. Well…HELLOOOOOooooo! My reaction to Judy’s challenge to “put away” the scale was indicative that I needed to heed my own words! My reaction alone…panic…indicates that in spite of my good intentions and feeling that I was not dishonoring the Lord in the way I used the scale, I HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!
So…as with Oreos…I will fast the scale for a time. My scale has now been safely hidden away in my “little mother’s” room…er…I mean my 13-year-old daughter’s room (her closet, buried beneath things…). She LOVES “watching out for me” so if I go in there to get the scale she is bound to hound me about it…I couldn’t bear that…
Truthfully, as with the Oreos, I feel relief…I am supposed to trust God with ALL. Yikes. That is scary. I know myself so well. WILL I let HIM be enough? HIS direction? HIS approval? HIS reprimand? HIS voice? Yikes…
But even as I type that previous paragraph it occurs to me that maybe by getting on the scale I was actually using it to endorse my sin…using it to “get away” with whatever I could without the scale going up…my heart was hardening even while I wasn’t gaining weight. The scale can NOT measure the changes of the heart, be they tenderizing changes or hardening changes…God alone can indicate that. And He is faithful to do that.
Hmmm…
I hate it when Judy is right! Well, *sometimes* I do. LOL!
Bless her heart…
Join me in putting your scale away…dare to believe that God is doing a NEW THING in you and HE WILL SHOW you what to do!!!! I need support! OK? 🙂
