The devotion below, from Lysa TerKeurst, speaks volumes about everything that I choose to comfort myself with that pulls my focus away from God. It doesn't have to be food. Any number of things that distract me from my grumpy/sad/emotional/dissatisfied/stressed mood, yet don't do anything to actually get to the heart of why I feel that way, are soul suckers.
- They slowly leach away my peace and joy in the miraculous love of my Lord and Savior.
- They stifle that beautiful connection I have with the Holy Spirit.
- They muffle and distort my view of our Father in Heaven.
- They do the work of Satan without all that head spinning, pea soup spewing scariness that was portrayed in the Exorcist.
Stop.
Think.
What do you choose instead of God when you're feeling out of sorts?
I've only named a couple of things. There are an infinite number of things that could be your focus instead of God (even wonderful things like your children or volunteering your time). This isn't the first time I've written about this (and probably won't be the last). And that's because it is a constant battle. It is a war against our souls. We need to be ever mindful and aware.
That's where Satan gets me every time - when I stop being aware. That's why I make this morning time a priority. That's why I try to go to sleep with Bible verses in my head, too. That's why the Lord said we should attach His Words to our bodies and write them on our hearts...so that we are prepared and constantly aware of His love and His promises and His complete satisfaction of our soul deep cravings!
Dear, dear Lord - If only I could shut out all the temptations and distractions of this world and focus my all toward you...I know I would be perfectly content. It's a goal. It's a hope. It's my prayer: Lord please help me choose you. I love you and you are the answer to every craving I will ever have. Amen.
Blessings and peace,
Leah
The War Against My Soul - by Lysa TerKeurst
If you are here from my Encouragement for Today devotion, the giveaway I mentioned is listed at the end of this post.
For years, I refused to think of my struggle with healthy eating as anything more than just a physical issue. I didn’t pray about it. I didn’t apply biblical insights to it. And I certainly didn’t ask God for help. I just wallowed in my lack of self-control.
This issue was too small for God, but too big for me.
When I began connecting my physical struggle with spiritual insight, I wasn’t convinced that God really cared about my bulging body.
Was I merely being vain to want to be thinner? Was I wasting my time on things of this world when I went to the gym? Was I just a foolish, Jesus-chasing girl who mistakenly believed my desires to please Him with this food battle would somehow help me grow closer to Him?
As I studied the Scriptures, I knew I had my answer from God: “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
My ever-increasing weight and poor food choices were wreaking havoc on my body. But that wasn’t all. My desperate struggle, hopelessness, and uncontrollable food cravings were waging war against my soul.
These were some of the whispers being hissed in my ear: You’ll never be free from this battle. You will always bounce from feeling deprived when you’re dieting to feeling guilty when you’re splurging. Victory isn’t possible!
When Satan holds up food in front us and says these things, we must see that an inappropriate relationship with food can be the lure he uses to draw us away from God. Satan may also use alcohol, unedifying media, inappropriate friendships, overspending, or any other means to lead us into a place where we feel self-control isn’t possible.
He’s not choosy about the method, just the result.
One day while reading Psalm 23, I listed all the things the Lord does for me:
He leads me.
He restores me.
He guides me.
He is with me.
He comforts me.
He fills me.
He satisfies me.
As I read back over my list, a series of questions shocked me: Do I rely on the Lord in these ways or do I rely on food in these ways? Do I honestly turn to God or turn to food? Do I seek to be comforted, filled, and satisfied in the depths of my soul with God, or food? My answers made me cry.
Being ruled by anything other than God is something He takes quite seriously. And so should we. For years, I was overweight physically but underweight spiritually. Tying those two things together has finally allowed me to see why so many other diets failed. I needed to dig past the surface to the real heart and soul of my issues.
In the process of that soul digging, I realized how amazing it is to serve a compassionate God—a God who knew food would be a major stumbling block, keeping many of his children from wholeheartedly pursuing Him. So He’s given us great gifts in the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and the Bible to help us.
Start and finish your day with Bible reading. Pray before you eat—even snacks. Listen to that spiritual gut check when you’re about to eat something. Choose the healthy option. Stop before you’re overly full. Eat slowly. Refuse to stuff and gorge. Stay on a slower eating pace while enjoying conversation with others.
Yes, I want to get healthy. Yes, I want to lose weight. But this journey is about so much more. In the end, pursuing health helps my heart to feel closer to Jesus and more ready to receive what He wants for me each day.
My struggle is with shopping. I don't over spend, I just waste so much time walking around wanting things. My goal this year is to make better use of that wasted time by giving it to the Lord and letting him tell me what to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI love the devotional today. It was an inspiration.