If you are visiting from Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today, let me say welcome! I would love for you to take a look around, leave a comment, and let me know what internal vows you may be struggling with so that I can pray with you!
In fact, if you leave a comment you will be entered to win either a copy of Tracey Miles’ new book Stressed Less Living or Lysa TerKeurst’s New York Times Best Selling book Made to Crave! Both are AWESOME! You have until 5:00 pm CST on Sunday October 7th to leave a comment and be entered to win! I will announce the winner here on my blog on October 8th!
I shared in my devotion that I have a continued struggle with over-eating, especially sweets. Four weeks ago I began the couch to 5K exercise plan. I am getting healthier, but I haven’t lost any weight. I pretend the lack of weight loss is due to muscle gain, but in reality it is probably due to the cookie I eat right before bedtime or the sugary coffee creamers I use in the morning. I know there are healthy alternatives to these things, but you have to make the choice to use them. That is a choice I continue to struggle with. It’s hard to pass by all the delicious treats this time of year, especially when you love pumpkin!
Romans 8:5 describes the battle perfectly for me, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”
My flesh wants candy corn, cake, and pumpkin spice lattes! I have my mind set on these things! But it is a choice. I can choose to set my mind on things of the flesh or things of the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17 tells me, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
There is freedom from my addictions, my sin patterns, my guilt, my shame…freedom from all forms of bondage…with the Spirit of the Lord.
How do I access that freedom? I choose to walk in the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Bible says that against these things there is NO LAW!
The list looks intimidating at first…and I wonder how I can be all of these things! For me the key is to focus on one at a time. Over the next week I need to focus on self-control. I need to pray about it, read about it, study it, and most importantly ask for empowerment from the Holy Spirit to live it out.
I hope you will choose one fruit of the Spirit to dig deeper in today. Ask the Lord for His strength and power so that you may grow in the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is…there is freedom…it’s TRUE! What will you start to break free from today?
By God’s grace and strength He will get me through my struggles. Thank you for sharing your struggles with us so we know that we’re not alone.
Terri, thank you for your sweet comment…and yes…isn’t it wonderful to know that we aren’t alone…so thankful to the Lord for such amazing Christians sisters!!!
I like you struggle with food and I love sweets. I am trying to loose weight. Please pray for me.
Kathy I am praying for you right now girl…that God will empower you to move past the flesh and into the thriving life of His Spirit. Hugs!!!!
Love your realness!!! And you!! Praying for you as you speak this weekend! Praying for God to speak in and through you to the hearts of the women gathered at the conference. May He meet each one at their point of need – including you!
Love you Stephanie from Texas and am loving your radical obedience to Him!!!
Donna B
Thank you Donna! I am so nervous…but I know God’s got this! Love you girl!
I am sending you a prayer over email in just a few. Need to finish it up and will get it to you! Just let God do the work! He’s got you from head to toe!! And that includes your heart and your mouth! He will connect them both to His heart and His words. You will be amazing!!! He’s not going to take anywhere without covering you with His grace. He is going to empower and anoint you in and with His power!!! BELIEVE IT, ACCEPT IT, and LIVE IT OUT!!
Your message today, really blesses me. Although not a new Christian, I have recently realized that I have access to God’s power, because His Spirit resides in me. He longs to have relationship with me and all of us He has chosen! I desire the fruits of the Spirit and I have been concentrating on asking the Holy Spirit for self -control and believing He will give it to me. I am digging deeper. I have a new excitement for letting God grow me up to be all He plans for me to be. I will start breaking free of my need for food (bondage to food) and trust that when out of bondage to food, I will truly be free and what the Spirit has for me is much much better and greater than I can imagine!
Evelyn, praise the LORD!!! How awesome!!!!
I’m working on doing my part in rebuilding the Lord’s temple, which is my body, eating healthier, keeping temptations away, and running from those temptations that are out of my control. I’ve shed 50 pounds so far these past 3 months, and praying through another 50.
Hilda that is wonderful!!!!!
Thank you! God is soooo good.
God is truly amazing and definitely works in mysterious ways. I have been struggling with this exact thing lately. I found the book His Revolutionary Love laying around the house, and just really glanced at it, read a few pages and saw the website for 20 somethings and checked it out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to read your blog about what I have been struggling with. It gives me a whole new perspective on things. Thank you for sharing.
Chandra I am so glad you wandered over here! I just got back last night from speaking at a conference for 20 somethings! You should check out faithinbetween.com. They have an awesome 20 somethings ministry!
I started Weight Watchers about a month ago and did so well with it for a couple weeks. Then, the stress of work and some looming depression that pops up here and again, convinced me to “take the weekend off.” Well, the weekend has lasted for two weeks. I gained all the weight I lost and I feel like a huge failure once again (which just makes me want to eat more). I know this is a spiritual thing. I’ve read Made to Crave twice! Sigh. Not going to tie this up with a bow. This is where I am tonight. I flat out love food (and other things) more than I love God. Lord, help me.
Thank you for your candor…it has blessed me and opened my eyes to my own sin of greater love for food than God…May God bless you and be with you!
It’s for sure a battle huh girl! But remember 3 steps forward and 2 steps back is still progress!!! We can still win this battle if we don’t give up!
Your devotion cut right into my heart which is exactly what I needed. I struggled with unhealthy relationships after my relationship with my Dad collapsed. When I finally realized I deserved better I vowed I would never be walked all over again. My husband is a wonderful man but he had suffered the effects of this internal vow. He has been punished for the hurts inflicted by the men I trusted before him. Instead of trusting God with my pain I vowed to protect myself at all costs. I fear it’s made me into a very ungracious wife. It’s gotten worse since the birth of our son five months ago. In my mind, hormones and exhaustion give me permission to speak without thinking and act on every feeling I have. I think the fruit of the spirit I’m going to study is gentleness. I’m not a terrible woman or wife but I’m hard, not gentle and I know it dishonors God. Thank you for your story, I really needed the truths you shared.
Rebecca- my internal vow is similar. I had/have a poor relationship with my dad. I grew up thinking it was “normal” to criticize the ones you love and arguments were just part of everyday life in a family. I vowed not to be this way with my husband & not to be treated this way. It has made me an ungracious wife though. Because of the vow, I feel a lot of pressure (from myself) to be perfect, which in turn, makes me very stressed and causes me to over react in daily life. I speak without thinking first, I can say hurtful things because “I’ve been up all night with babies”, but I expect to not be treated the same. I have been so ready to release this burden that I have been praying about it and was led to this site
I am starting with kindness- in my words & my actions.
I too have similar problems with the way I treat my husband. I don’t know where it went wrong, but somewhat of a sense of entitlement and the need to not feel so much stress anymore feeds my poor attitude and unloving ways. I too feel the need to release this burden and be a better Christian, wife, and mother. I’ve been reading The Good Wife’s Guide and learning how to be a better help-meet for my husband. I pray for us all
Wow, yes I must confess I used to be pretty nasty with my husband too. When I spent time in counseling I realized I was projecting on him the issues I had with men in my past. Maybe the first step is forgiving yourself and the men in your life that have hurt you so that you are able to release the anger and bitterness, and move towards a loving relationship with your husband. Also, http://www.marriagetoday.com has some AWESOME marriage resources. Jimmy Evans, the one who is head of this ministry is the preacher at our church. He is wonderful!
Stephanie, thanks you for your authentic and real sharing of your life. I have found, we each have a story which is part of Gods story. Too often, my go too person when I am struggling is a friend, my spouse or a comfort food! I am reminded by your blog, my “go to person” is God. First. He is the source of my peace. My strength. The true fix. And his truth pierces my heart and fills it with grace and love. Thank you for your words today!
Amen girl!
Thank You! This has been a blessing to me; it is exactly what God needed me to hear…I feel hopeful about my weight struggle for the first time in ages. May God Bless You!!!!
Yay God!!!! Hope is confident expecation and we are confidently expecting to win with battle with the Lord!!!!
I so appreciate your encouragement today. My mother and her side of the family, have “perfection” issues, which leads to anxiety, irritability and anger. I vowed not to be like that, but I can exhibit these traits. I recently, have gave it over to God, because I was trying to control it in my own way. God Bless You!!
Yay! Way to give it to God!
Thanks for the encouragement this morning in your devotion! I also have struggled with trying to do it on my own. It was a great reminder that God will give us the strength to overcome when we choose to put our trust in him. Good luck with the C25K! I just started that myself
Thanks girl! I hope the couch to five K goes well for you too!!! I am loving it!
What a blessing from God it was to read this devotional, I to like so many other women have been struggling with food cravings, and over eating. And as Thanks-giving, I am Canadian so ours is a bit earlier than the American one, is getting closer I keep stressing and worrying about not being able to control myself. Thank you for the remminder to give it over to the Lord, he is my ever present help in times of need, I know I will be needing his strength this weekend. Can you pray for me, that I put my trust in God to be my self control. Thank you for your encouragment.
Leanne I hope your thanksgiving goes well! Today it helped me when I wanted donuts to be able to rejoice in feeling healthy and good about myself than choosing to feel deprived about refusing a donut! The shift of thoughts really helped me!
Thank you for such encouragement this morning–letting go and let God take control–I can write and read these words but giving over the control is hard–i think God has more important things to do–but as I grow in wisdom through these on line Bible studies, read the blogs, comments, I see how God is using you and the Proverbs 31 ladies to reach out to each of us–one day at time sweet Jesus–might have to draw another line in the sand–but each time we draw another line we are getting closer to God’s will for our lives–yes my weight is something I deal with–have come to the “stall” in process–health issues have caused a little bump in the road for me and hope to restart the exercising and chosing to make those right choices–thank you for the encouragement
Thats awesome that you are re-starting the journey! And God so very much cares about EVERYTHING in our lives, so rely on Him sister, and even though there will be bumps in the road, we have as many chances as it takes!!!!
Thank you for sharing your struggles with weight. I have the same issue. I can relate to what you shared about internal vows. In the spring I took a class at my church on prayer counseling and we learned about inner vows and other things that can paralyze us as Christians. The class was through Elijah House Ministries. Great lessons learned! I am now going through some prayer counseling myself to deal with the issues that surfaced as a result of the class. I would highly recommend this to anyone who feels they are struggling with something and can’t seem to get victory over it.
Thanks for sharing that!
I am in my mid 50′s and have also struggled with weight. I too love food and I have learned that if I eat what I enjoy… then I just have to keep exercising. And the bonus is that I have more energy & feel better. That’s not to say that I am fanatical about exercise, because I am not… but I do my best and that’s that! Thanks for your insight & encouragement
Thats great!!!!
Thank you for your encouraging devotional today. For my entire life I’ve struggled with fear, low self esteem and social anxiety disorder. After learning that fear is not from God, I asked Him for help. He led me to an amazing therapist. I worked hard through therapy, I prayed harder. Finally I entered the real world. I got a job I loved, I made friends, I thanked God every day. Then I developed severe skin allergy to chemicals I was working with and I had to resign. I went home on temp. disability to heal. I vowed that I would not end up back in my prison of fear. But here I am, a year later, right back where I started, home, unemployed and terrified. Somehow how I switched from faith back to fear, and satan’s been having a field day with me. I’m struggling to get back to faith and it’s so hard. I’m terrified to go back out there and start over, but I’m filling out job applications and trying to trust the Lord. Please pray for me and that He will grow my faith again and keep it strong. Thank you for the reminder that God takes care of us better than we can take care of ourselves, if we just trust Him.
Oh girl I am praying for you! Don’t be afraid to go back to counseling if you decide that would be of benefit! Sometimes we need to go for boosters, escpecially after expereincing life changes!
I really appreciate that you focus on one thing at a time. Sometimes I feel so ovewhelmed when I’m striving to make a change.
It works well for me…hope it works for you too!
Thank you so much for your honesty in today’s devotion, my family and struggles are so similar , I will pray for you as you pray for me, be Blessed, Tammie
Thanks girl!!!!
Thank you for putting 1 Corinthians 3:17 into perspective for me. I guess I have never really understood what it means. This one is going up on my walls.
Awesome!!!
Stephanie, you are a beautiful young woman just as you are! Yes, seek the Lord and his guidance in being healthier, but also accept that you are beautiful as you are right now and that the number on the scale has very little to do with your value!! I will always be 10 lbs over because I enjoy pumpkin lattes and because I think I look pretty with a little softness and curves to my body.
Loved this devotional this morning. I really LOVED it. I have internal vows with weight loss and parenting. I grew up in a terrible home, and now with my three kids and husband, I daily vow to NOT be the mother/wife that my mom was. It causes failures constantly because I am trying to do it on my own. I actually had a breakdown yesterday on the whole family…and just cryed to God on my floor. I told God I can’t do this and asked for His grace and to show me I wasn’t to far gone for his mending love. Yesterday and today I have had two other women sharing my name Stephanie, that have had such encouragement to my soul. I know God is speaking to me through the two of you.
I also suffer internal vows to God about weight. After the death of my father a year ago I vowed to be healthier for my family. I ran daily, and ran a mini marathon in May. I became obsessed with losing weight….but no weight came off. I could tell that stuff wasn’t as tight, but my weight is even more now. I exersice and lift weights and nothing is moving. I know it is because my goal is not being healthy. I want people to say, “your losing weight”. I want approval so bad, because I never had it growing up. I keep saying, “I can do this”, and then I choose to stuff my soul with sweets and more sweets! I have NO self control and never say no to these things. I pray I can start this day giving it daily over to God and letting him control it. I appreciate how your message, and the comments above.
Amazing inspired word! Thank you. God used you to remind me to stay focused on Him…not my issues w food . God bless you in your walk w Him.
Stacy
I frequently read the Proverbs 31 devotions and love them but have NEVER replied to one. I’m really stepping outside of my box this morning. I guess the Lord has really spoken to me through your devotional thoughts. Thanks for making it clear that I need to give my internal vow to weigh a certain weight over to Christ. He needs to be the one who I make my vow to. I know I cannot do this alone. I will pray for you as you are lifting me up in prayer as well. Thank you.
I’m in the same boat! I’ve been struggling so much with trying to control everything and it’s driving me crazy! This devotion really spoke to me and challenged me in so many ways. Last night I was reading in Romans in the message (3:28) “Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.”
I have a one year old, am in transitions at work, have sold our families condo and we’re looking for a new home, we don’t know where we will be living in 5 weeks and i’m sick… i like to use all these things as excuses and reasons about how hard my life is and reasons why I’m trying to take control, plan, and succeed on my own… but all it’s done is left me stressed out, burnt out, and run down.
Giving it to God is the way to go! I’m praying for all of you as we struggle to do this!
i have the opposite program i am too skinny. i am african american and growing up in my community being thin is seen as a shameful thing. i was abused so i was very afraid to eat and it showed. while all my multiracial friends stressed about gaining weight i suppose because ppl made them feel all bad all the time, i was ashamed because guys only wanted women who had meat on their bones because motherhood in africa i suppose is highly regarded thing and you cannot carry children if you are too thin i suppose. also it is a simple of wealth who wants to look thin and hungry! i marvel at americans and get very angry at the men sometimes who are very cruel to women who look like women. i think you should be healthy and weight is important sometimes to have a healthy baby. so i say they need to get over themselves. But i still struggle because i am rejected being my weight.
Great devotion in the Proverbs 31 Ministries email. My favorite sentence was: Vows made to the Lord lead to Christ-centered peace. That can apply to so many areas of life for me right now. Thank you!
In a way it is very hard to pick one Fruit of the Spirit to work on at a time. At times I feel such a mess. I fall apart when I should be Strong in the Lord and the power of His might. I crave to over-eating when I feel depressed instead of finding a way to deal with what’s eating me. Yes, I think it may be self-control I need. I need to determine to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. I need to pray first and act second or not at all. Thank you for the good soul food.
Your devotion was exactly what I needed to read this morning. I recently had my second child and I’m struggling with my weight and making healthy choices. After reading your words I was reminded that I must surrender this struggle to God and quit trying to do this in my own strength.
Your devo in the Proverbs 31 email today was like a well-timed intervention straight from Heaven! Yesterday, my boss my team a really good video on the importance of positive attitude. I am walking through some of the toughest challenges of my life right now and have been becoming very discouraged and negative. So I decided just last night that I was going to make the best of my situation through a positive attitude and self-discipline. That’s all well and good, until I read that little devo this morning and realized that I had made an internal vow to do these things in my own strength rather than reaffirming my dependence on God and the fruit of His spirit. So that little devo waiting in my inbox this morning was just the warning light I needed to help head off another cycle of the failure and frustration that happens when I try to “fix things” on my own. I am so amazed and thankful that God is always standing by to whisper just the right things to our souls at just the right time. And I am thankful that you let God use you to do just that!
Oops… In the second line I meant “Yesterday, my boss SHOWED my team a really good video….” Sometimes my fingers don’t type as fast as my thoughts and I leave a word out!
I struggle with not staying focused. I start something but usually it doesn’t continue for too long.
Ruth, I can sure relate to that one!
Thank you for such an insightful and honest devotion today Stephanie. I too have stuggled with eating and the control issues that surround that my whole life. Romans 8:5 is the next verse I will memorize so I will have it in my arsenal! Thanks so much Stephanie and I look forward to keeping up with your blog!
I hit that point about a year ago. I do much better most of the time, but chocolate is still a major weakness … I’m learning how to to bake with healthier foods and limit how much I eat of them.
My Bible Study group has been doing a study on the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives – we have all been becoming more aware of the the Spirits working in our lives. Last night I was determined and discplined to not smoke ever again. In fact, I cut up the last of my cigarettes last night before I went to bed. I woke up this morning and was very frighten – how I am going to get through this day without smoking? I had your devotion waiting for me in my inbox this morning. I scanned it and was not going to read it, as I am worned and tired from fighting this battle for far too many years. The devil has such a stronghold on me and I just don’t see a way out – until this morning when I read your devotion and came over to your blog and read about having freedom with the Spirit of the Lord through the Spirit’s gifts. God’s words sunk into my soul that he will never let me be tempted more than I can bear AND He will always give me a way to STAND patiently under the temptation. I will pray and ask the Holy Spriit to empower today to use self-control to get me through this day without smoking. One day at a time with the Holy Spirit empowering me and the Lord standing firm with me. Thank you for your thoughts and wise words Stephanine!
I am praying for you, JoAnne! The Holy Spirit’s power is the only thing that got me through quitting cigarettes. You can do it, but not alone. With every craving, call to our Abba to get you out of that temptation.
Oh, yeah, OJ leaches nicotine out of the system and something to chew on will help, too.
Thank you for sharing your own story with us, and thank you for encouraging us to re-examine the motives for the vows we make and to whom we are making them. I’ve been really discouraged this year with fibromyalgia, and I’ve gained some weight and really had a hard time feeling vibrant and joyful and at peace. I’m on my second week of Weight Watchers, and I’m working to make my health a motivator more than my vanity. I have daughters who I want to have healthy habits and healthy self-images, and I want to be strong and healthy so I can serve the Lord well. Your words today encouraged my heart. Thank you.
Hi! I am visiting from Proverbs 31 Women. This is the first time I have read one of your blogs, and as is apparent from the comments, it really hit home with so many women. I’m doing some soul searching myself and even going to share what I’ve learned today with my daughter (16). Thank you so much for sharing your struggles & victories with others.
I did just want to point out that in the closing prayer, you said that God promised he will honor me (that’s actually backwards from the scripture – it is God talking to us and that we will honor Him). Just thought I would point that out, but please take it as a constructive criticism. Beautiful prayer and meaningful blog!! Thank you again for your thoughtful words.
Thank you for posting this! I have always struggled with my weight. I have always wanted to lose weight but am mostly not willing to make the sacrifice. Two weeks ago I was sharing my desire to lose weight with my husband. He has committed to helping me and keeping me accountable. I am also giving it to the Lord. I have tried too many times to do it on my own and always fail. It’s time to let it go! Thank you for encouraging me.
Have been doing a study related to food and grace-timing of your post of prov 31- God perfect!
God knows just what we need. I too struggle with being overweight and indulging in sweets (I hope there are Pumpkin Spice Lattes in heaven;)). I’ve lost 75 pounds or more three times in my life. Self control in my own power is just not going to cut it, I need Jesus to help me overcome my own sinful flesh and bring it under His authority. I’m currently 25 pounds over where I believe I need to be.
In a way I was and continue to struggle with my choices only to find there is no secret to this . I think it is how God is working with me to convience me to walk in the path of every day choices. I graduated from college in home ec. ,low many years ago and I knew every thing there is to know about nutrition. ( you know, like margarine was better for you than butter. Salt was no good, white bread is fortified and even better for you than whole wheat, and bla bla bla, ) Well after trying so many ways to loose weight , I can’t even count, I realize it was my own pride that thought I knew more than any one about diet and that I didnt know everything about nutrition and I turned to the Lord and His word for the answers. Did I lose no! I needed a tudor and so I went to Weight Watchers,lead by a Jew.(old testament.) Then I drop out because I had learned how to do it. (lie of Satan) Pride again. We had finicial problems and so cutting back I decided I was not worth $43.oo dollars a month. My self control is just about as useful as my marjarine knowledge is and my pride that kept me from going to any one else. I still need to be under the tudor until the Lord set me free from the old self.
By the way , I am 72 and been a believer since I was nine years old the journey continues and I keep learning about my prideful self and my need for my savior.
Growing up I was taught to be a strong independent woman, and not to have to depend on anyone. Unfortunately, that mindset interferes with my relationship with God, because I always want to do everything on my own! I tend to only take my “big” problems to Him, and try to resolve the rest myself. It is a daily struggle with my internal control issues, and your devotion really opened my eyes and showed me how much easier and peaceful my life can be if I just give it ALL to Him! Thanks for sharing!
Man this hit home today. I too have been struggling with my weight all my life. After my son was born I went into a deep depression because of my weight. I finally “woke up” and ask God for help… I’ve lost 55lbs ! ! Thanks for your encouraging word…
What an inspiration your Proverbs 31 devotion is, as well as your blog! It especially hit home for me when you mentioned generational bondage. I’m 71 and have struggled with food issues most of that time. It truly is a tool of our enemy ….. he used it to tempt Adam and Eve way back in the garden. I am doing better, but it is a continual walk of prayer and faith. I know your writing on this subject is deeply meaningful to so many of us Jesus lovers, thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this. I am 35 and just recently realized that I have been in a lifelong battle with overeating and body image issues. I have been on a diet since I was 6 years old after my father told me I was fat. I’ll go from periods of overeating to extreme dieting and exercise. I’m so glad to know I’m not alone in this and definitely need the reminder to stay strong in Christ and now that he will deliver me from bondage, shame and guilt. Thanks again for sharing your story
As a teenager, I made an inner vow not to trust anyone as all those in authority in my life had hurt me. Five years ago, with the help of a healing prayer team, I rebuked that vow and allowed Jesus to tear down the wall I had built up around my heart. Since then, I’ve been learning to rely on Him to be my Protector and Provider and not myself.
Thank you for your encouraging words! I just started back to weight watchers this week for the 3rd or fourth time over the past 18 years but feel like I have a different outlook on it this time! God has been calling me for some new purpose during the last 6 weeks so I am just listening for his direction and caring for myself the way I would care for a friend or the way God would care for me is part of his plan for my life.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace give us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage our hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thes 2:13-17
Thank you for being so open! It was encouraging to me.
Thanks for these beautiful comments. Not only do I struggle with weight (though I am not that large) and love of food, but I struggle with a low self esteem. I am working very hard to become the woman God intended me to be. Your comments and the Romans scripture have made me aware that I must get rid of my prideful self and turn my heart and head over to the Holy Sprit so that he can do God’s choice work of what my life will be.
I , too, am struggling with the binge eating…..I have never had this problem before, but have had many emotional struggles….I continue to have this ” I can start dieting tomorrow” attitude…..I can say “God, help me with this struggle and become frustrated when I have such lack of control. I want to be able to wake up and not think of my “food” issues…..I am a believer and a woman of faith…..just struggling……I am also reading “Made to Crave” I know I will overcome this with the help and guidance of my “unglugged” friends and God…..
This was so well-written. How beautiful that the Lord cares about all these details of our lives. The application for me was to trust Him with worries about the future. What a relief! Thanks and bless you. Debbie
I really appreciated your thoughts on how even a seemingly “healthy” vow can serve as a form of bondage. This idea resonated with me and gives me something to apply to my own circumstance. Thanks for your transparency.
Your blog entry today is exactly what I needed. I was just telling my husband a few days ago that I’m so tired of being in bondage with my weight struggles. I want to live in freedom. I am relinquishing my control to the Lord. Allowing him to do His work in me. I have to be honest and say I’m a little nervous…I’m not very good with letting my guard down and feeling vulnerable. But I want more than anything to live in the freedom that Christ has given me. Thanks for sharing today.
Hi there; just to say i absolutely love that you are so truthful and I empathise so much with your struggles. Bless you richly in this and every ministry you have- Fran Gaunt missionary mom in Kathmandu
Thank you…you encouraged me today.
The Lord helped me with my eating issues many years ago, but i have other area where i have made vows that are not healthy. God is soooo faithful to lead us to healing if we will allow Him to!
I have suffered from a similiar situation practicially my whole life! My mother has always been on one diet or another, and somehow I started “dieting” at around the age of 11 or 12. I have been up and down the scale more times that I can recall. Like you, I have recently turned over this struggle to the Lord. Like you, I LOVE my sweet treats. I am handing it all over to Him and letting God decide what my body is supposed to look like. It does belong to Him after all!! Thanks for your devotional. It helped to reinforce the thoughts that I’ve been having recently.
Stephanie, I was led to your blog today for a reason. I don’t know the reason, but obviously God wanted me to read your words today. I have a very long list of struggles that I deal with on a daily basis. I am so strung out from it. My biggest issue is time, or time = guilt. I am a single mother of two very active boys 17 & 11, I work a VERY demanding job because it is good money, and I need that to support my boys, but it doesn’t allow me to spend much time with them. The list goes on, not enough time to take care of the boys, the house, the car, the yard, myself, etc. etc. Right now, I don’t sleep well due to my brain being on overdrive. My brain is the hamster on his exercise wheel 24-7, it never stops. I don’t know how I am functioning daily. I start off the evening in prayer, or reading information from Proverbs 31 web-site. When I go to bed, I am still trying to focus on prayer and asking God to take my burdens, to be my refuge. I really don’t know why I am telling you all of this, but if you could, just say a little prayer. I am glad that I found your blog !!
Terri you are such a blessing! I can relate to your struggles as I am there now. I finally took a step and started going to the gym and trying to eat right. Your devotional for me. I have been in prayer asking Him to help me and to guide me. Your devotional was as if He was speaking to me directly. It is answered pareyer.
I will pray for you and I know God will bring you through this. Thank you for being so open with us in your personal life. God bless you abundantly.
I have always struggled with my weight. In my twenties, I exercised daily and ate very little. I was thin; but I wasn’t happy. In my thirties, I went through a very tough time. I stopped exercising and turned to food to fix my broken heart. I gained 100 pounds, which I still carry around with me. I’ve tried so many ways to lose the weight; but I still struggle. Thank you for your words of inspiration today.
Stephanie, your devotion today hit home to me in a big way. Not only do I struggle with weight as well, I am struggling with faithfulness. I have been married for 18 years and I love my husband very much but I continue to have friendships with old boyfriends from the past. I don’t know if you meant just vows to God, but I made a vow to my husband at the time too. My eyes have been opened and I am blessed by your words. Thank you.
I enjoyed the devotion this morning. I know I didn’t truly begin to heal and recover from my “food addiction” until the light finally came on that no matter how many support groups I went to or therapists I saw, I could not win the battle until I involved God in it all. I have now been in recovery for 9 years at a healthy weight. I am still a work in progress and much more growing to do and healing and recovery ahead, but I am can’t wait to see what God brings into my life from it all. I no longer look at my food issues as a curse, but I look at it as a way God was able to grow me as a Christian and strengthen my relationship with Him. I will be following your blog. God bless you.
My internal vow was also food related. I vowed to always let myself be in control of what I put into my body. This has gotten way out of control! For example at times I’m not hungry but I force myself to eat junk just to show that I am in control. I’ve decided that I’m going to write out the bible verses that you shared and place them around my house, as a reminder that I need to hand over the control and not give in to the fleshly desires.
Stephanie, thank you for sharing your heart with us. God truly desires to be in every detail of our life and yet many times I try to do things on my own convincing myself that He isn’t worried about this or that or doesn’t have time for my little petty problems. So thankful that I can now see those as lies and that God wants to be involved in everything!! It is because of the wonderful women like you that I see these as lies. I too choose to walk in the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Striving for imperfect progress (thankful for Lysa for sharing that one)!!
Thank you for sharing your struggles Stephanie….I struggle the same way, and after I read your blog, I realized that I make internal vows over and over again, and then I keep failing over and over again…which makes me feel TERRIBLE. I have many struggles…but the one I have had almost my whole life is with food as well. I vow that I will make a change, and become healthier, and look better for my husband, and take care of the temple that God is dwelling in…and I do well for a while, and then continue to fall off the bandwagon…every time I fall…the pain gets deeper and deeper, and I feel like a total failure, and I seem to “hate” my body even more. I think I have come to the realization that I do need to surrender this issue to the Lord…I just don’t know how to STICK with it…I’m praying that the Lord will show me how and that I will surrender more…it’s good to know I’m not alone…and I hope you, and everyone else that has commented, know that…we are the body of Christ, and we can help one another! Once again, thank you for sharing, and for encouraging me today!
Its amazing how Papa seems to place exactly the right words in front of me when I need them. The main internal vow I’ve made is that I will never be alone and unloved. As a result I’ve tended, still tend, to rely on the men in my life more than on Papa. Papa has me in a place right now where He’s removed the most important men in my life so that I can learn to trust more deeply in, and rely more completely on, Him for my comfort and the provision of love. Its a really, REALLY hard place to walk but He’s helping me.
My struggle is, as one commenter stated, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. I have no margin in my life, no room for delays or interruptions or conflicts. Just this week I had a conversation with my daughter about how her schedule – with no margin and almost no time for sleep – is effecting her health and well-being. Hmmm…wonder where she learned that. Sounds like we both need to turn our schedule over to God and ask his blessing to let some of it go. Thanks for your devotion on struggles.
Hang in there, Stephanie. I have been on a healthy eating “journey” for 6 years now. I have gone from 230 to 145; from a 22 to an 8. I still marvel that God has brought me to this place. He has helped me make small changes that led to a big transformation. It’s what He does. And there were times when it seemed nothing was happening. I lead an exercise class we started last January. It seemed like months that nothing was changing. And then suddenly, everything changed. I now have only T-shirts and a desperate situation in my closet. When we walk with God, it sometimes seems like nothing is happening, but as you know, He is faithful. It is HARD to make healthy choices, but you can do it with His help. No more excuses, just good choices. I saw a church sign this week that said “Make the choice. He will make the change.” My first choice was to do without butter on my bread. Sounds insignificant, but it has brought me to this amazing place, with His help. God is good. Love your devotions. I read them and share them.
Dear Stephanie, I also fight with eating and overeating. It seems like I can’t stick with any diet. The harder I try the sooner I fail. After reading Made to Crave the situation is a bit better which means that I don’t overeat eveyday, but still I find myself to often thinking about and craving food.
And for me it’s the same with judging the people: in the morning I vow I wont judge the persons I usually do and in the minute I meet them my vow fades away.
Thanks for you devotional, I hope we’ll see the day when all of us will be delivered by the Lord and can honor Him!
“Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.” Romans 3:28 (MSG)
I’m a group fitness instructor and have never been super skinny and have always felt pressure to be. But the main reason I got into the industry (besides my love for exercise) was to encourage women to let all this stuff go! It’s been a personal struggle for me but there are so many factors. I had crazy hormonal issues before I had my son and when I got on hormone medication I lost about 30 pounds without changing anything I was doing. It is so easy to falsely believe we control our bodies, our lives, and our success but we don’t! God is the one who is in charge. The more we try to take that power from him the more miserable we’ll be- even if it provides short term “success” (weight loss or otherwise).
Blessed are we that he loves us and thinks we’re beautiful regardless of those extra 10, 30, 100 lbs….or if we are too skinny, or too pale, or too dark, or too old, or too saggy!
And he rejoices in our vows to give it all back to him! Rock on women of God! =)
Thank you for this awesome word!!! May God bless you in your work for him!
In Christ
Tina
I too want/need to look at self control this week. Please share with us what u discover. Thanks for all u do.
Minda
Thanks for reminding me of my vows. I am going to break them in Jesus’ names and make some new ones to Him who makes me whole. Keep up the great work!
Michelle K.
Wow. I can’t even express how this spoke to me today. I battle with food constantly. I’m either on one end of the spectrum or the other. It’s all about control. Thank u for the hope that u give in your posts. For sharing so that we know we aren’t alone. God bless!
Stephanie, I am so glad I came across your blog! Your story in P31 really spoke to me. It’s so easy to try to control things yourself before giving it over to God, where it belongs.
Thank you for your honesty! Mine is not necessarily the same problem with my weight but other issues but targeting the same internal issues! WOW! I am finding it is hard to give control of my situations to God, though I say I have. it is a daily choice to nake but one I am grateful to do. I know he “has my back” in all of my struggles! Again,,,, thank you! Keep your head up in your journey also.
Stephanie, it was eye opening to see how you practically applied Rom 8:5 and 2 Cor 3:17 to your struggles. I think I’ve tended to view them in terms of big picture ideals versus the gritty details of living everyday life. Thanks
Love your blog!! I too am a determined person, who determines to set my mind to something and get it done. I often forget that I must surrender those things to the Lord so that He can work through me to help me with the many areas that I struggle. Thanks for the loving reminder. Help me to pray for my areas of weakness…food, but more so, worry. It seems I awake with such a negtive mindset and I am all day bathing my mind with scriptures in order to break the bondage of negativity that I feel has been passed on through my family. I need to have the mind of Christ and that is my goal!! I appreciate your prayers for my pessimistic mind Lol
Thank you for your openness in today’s devotion. I will be 40 the day after Christmas, and my goal is to be in great shape when that happens. I’ve made great progress, but I’ve not reached my goal yet, and I love pumpkin. But where I’ve been struggling with recently is gentleness. I speak softly so I think wrongly that that’s enough, but two people recently have made comments about my tone or my attitude. My prayer is that my tongue would be kind and gentle.
Thank you for your message. As always it is very helpful. I have struggled with control issues, which brings on anxiety for many years. It seems as though it has gotten worse, but maybe it is because I recognize it more. I have prayed for Gods healing for a long time. I know God does things in his own time. Bless you!
Thank you so much for the encouragement this morning. I started reading made to crave 6 weeks ago and I am so thankful The Lord has led you and others to address taking care of our bodies and what the bible has to say about it. I am 40 and have twins that are 5 and a 1 yr old daughter. Just before meeting my husband I lost 70 lbs and was a size 12 for the first time in my life. I was 32. From the time we married till one year ago my weight kept escalating. In the last year I have lost 60 lbs. I have approximately 30 more to get to a weight appropriate for my height. My husband is in his senior year of bible college and we are called to work with youth. At 40 yrs old that is going to be interesting!! But I KNOW God has been preparing my soul and body for this ministry. Thank you again for this poweful devotion:)
Stephanie, WOW! Thank you for your vulnerable story salted with insight and divine solutions. I am forwarding this to many! What a blessing you are!
Thank you for your story today! I really needed that! I too struggle with weigh issues…Have a blessed and wonderful day!
I started eating healthy in 11-2010, I was in Celebrate recovery a support group at church, turned to God for guidence and did the made to crave book and devotion, b-12 shots with appitite suppressant. and lost 87 pounds. I then had to have major back surgery in May 2012 and have gained some back, I am using the surgery as an excuse. I am in rehab. and still recoperating from surgery. I had nerve damage so It is going to take a while to get completely well. But I know that I can turn to God and submit to him and he will help me to get back on track. So today I will focus on God and will practice self controll, In Jesus name and to God be all Glory amen.
God is so good to us today, tomorrow and always! I am so blessed! I just got married September 8th to a wonderful man who works as a Compliance Officer for Nations University! We together have seven children and 15 grandchildren ranging in age from 18 to one! I have the pleasure of living in the inland northwest so enjoy all four seasons and am now enjoying the beautiful fall colors! I recently went on my honeymoon and drove to Brentwood, TN, which is also very beautiful! I enjoy Proverbs 31 ministries immensely! It brightens my day and really helps my daily walk with the Lord! Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
I just wrote a whole long comment and it was deleted because i had to log into wordpress and didn’t have my password. So annoying! Oh well it was therapeutic for me to write anyways and I can be in the drawing for the book
I feel like I’m reading my story when I read yours. Thank you so much for sharing! I have struggled with food, lack of self control in the area, and an eating disorder (praise the Lord I’ve been free from this for 26 months!!). Time and time again I have made commitments to myself not to do ‘this’ or to do more of ‘that’ so that I can get ahold of myself, but I’ve always failed when I’ve done things on my own strength. Surrendering the struggle to the Lord, living by the Spirit and constantly having scriptures to combat the fleshly cravings and bad habits is the way to win the battles waging war within us. Thank you for your words, Stephanie. God bless you in your fight to win this battle!
P.S. I totally recommend Candace Cameron Bure’s book “Reshaping It All” to anyone struggling with food! It and “Made To Crave” are such wonderful books!!
Maria Jackson
Thank you for your words of encouragement. It’s not an accident that I’m reading two of Lysa Terkeurst books (at the same time!) – Made to Crave and Unglued. I decided to look up Lysa’s website and found http://www.Proverbs31.org! I love the daily devotion and the solid teaching of the Word by all the godly women that contribute. I”m trusting the Lord to set me free from some fears in my life and for setting me on the path to my next career ( I was recently laid off in July). I loved your blog and will meditate on the scriptures you provided.
It’s great to see how the Lord is using you to bless so many sisters-in-Christ! I will add you to my prayer list and ask that you pray for me.
Blessings!
Thank you so much for sharing!! I struggle with my weight and your words of encouragement were a blessing to me today!
This hit home today..I also thank you for your words of encouragement. I have tried for years on my own to get the weight off and now I want to trust God and keep His words in my heart to loose this weight. I am so glad I found your site and will seek the Lord’s help with this problem today………Thank you for your instructions on this and other matters.
God’s blessings on you.
I struggle with the food/weight issue daily. I also do not want to pass these issues onto my daughters. Thank you for your words today that will lead me into study and prayer regarding the these issues. Also, I grew up in a home where my mother embellished everything to the point of lying. I vowed all my life to never be that way, and through God’s help I believe that I have accomplished this because I’ve been accused all my life of “telling too much of the truth”
and with God’s guidance I will continue to follow this path. Now if I can only learn to turn the food/weight issue totally over to Jesus I will have it made 
Blessings and Joy to all 
When We stay in awe of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in us and forgive ourselves for not being perfect and love our temples as God loves us..because He died for us..we are really supernatural…it’s all Jesus..keep thanking Him for this revelation and the Joy of the Lord will be your strength..we must get out of the Box of doubt and defeat and see what Jesus died for. I dont always feel
God is teaching me not to live in my feelings, but to thank God we still can feel, or we’d be dead. Soo thankful for you Stephanie. I stumbled across your blog and know it was God. I love how you are transparent. Pray you have a supernatural weekend and have time to just sit and be with the Lord. I love spinach smoothies too. Great energy booster:)
One last thing God really dealt with me about focusing on my flaws was making it all about me.. I was making my imperfections a bigger deal when Jesus wants it to be all about Him. ” Christ in us the HOPE of Glory brings much comfort when I stayed focused on Him doing it and not me and my imperfect progress. “He will complete the good work He has started in each of us” I am just learning to just get out of His way.. in Jesus Name.. xoxoxox
Really enjoyed your blog entry today! I am now subscribed!
Thank you Stephanie for that verse- 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” I have struggled with my weight all my life- I never felt good enough or pretty enough, I have always compared myself to others. I long to find freedom from this bondage I am in so I will pray that verse and ask God to help me find my freedom in Him and Him alone!
You are a blessing- thank you!
As I read this post, I’m reminded of my own struggles. With lots of prayer, meditation and hard work, I’m on my way to a healthier lifestyle! Good luck with your own journey!
I am struggling with my weight right now. It is nothing new as a struggle. Now I want to loose the weight to get healthy instead of just be thin. I wonder what it would be like to be healthy and thin! I am sick of feeling the way I do about myself because of my weight. am asking God to help me change how I feel about myself and give me some self confidence.
I Really enjoyed today’s Encousrgment for Today. It spoke volumes to my life!!! I have struggled with my weight since my first pregnancy (my oldest is 14)!! I also said I wouldn’t be heavy like the rest of my family, they say I’m destin for it and I’ll always be big. I lost my Grandma to diabetes, watching my Mom suffer with it. It’s not about being thin anymore. It’s a lifestyle change I want to be healthy for me andy kids.
I have made internal vows to stay at a healthy weight (both my mom and my older sister have struggled with weight, and I don’t want to be like them) and to not be like my mom. She was/is controlling and emotionally and verbally abusive. Again, I have watched my older sister repeat some of those same hurtful behaviors with her children. We all three have almost identical personalities, and I do not want to be like that. I am pregnant with our first, and while I have come a long way since we got married a year and a half ago, I still have so much to work on and improve. I have gained way more weight than I should have with this pregnancy, and I am worried about being able to get it off and keep it off. I have very little self-control, and that’s a fruit of the Spirit that I really need to work on. I need God’s help because I can’t do it on my own!
The timing of this devotion from Encouragement for Today was perfect. I’m fasting and just thought ‘I wish I had something to eat’! Turns out this fast is about internal vows and me handling my food issues. I appreciate the direction of listing women in my family and what they might have vowed. Good stuff! Thanks so much for sharing and redirecting my focus by the power of His spirit!!
My struggle is against perfectionism and pleasing others. I realize that I need more self-control which is what the Spirit gives (as much as that doesn’t sense!). Thank you for sharing your heart.
God has blessedly helped me and I no longer struggle with weight issues. My biggest struggle is being a perfectionist and these days I am not accomplishing anything because I won’t start anything if I can’t make it perfect. I know I can only overcome this with the Lord’s help.
I have always been big. I stopped worrying about it and stopped getting stressed out about it when, if people made comments, I started saying ‘God made me this way so who am I to complain.’
Oh, the things we do to ourselves! Thanks for your honest confession, Stephanie. I used to make the same promises–”I’ll never eat (fill in the blank) again”, but I always broke my vow! I think we all struggle with food issues because we need to eat! It’s taken many years but the Lord has really healed my cravings, and it happened when I got my focus off of dieting and on to living. That may sound crazy, but food had such control over my thoughts and my daily plans that I was miserable! If I ate well I felt good about myself. If I binged I was miserable and only ate more to punish myself for having failed. I compared myself to other women and never felt I measured up no matter how thin I was. Twelve years ago Jesus reached into my broken heart and I became His girl. Four months later I went through a major surgery that really rocked my world, but it was what God needed to do to shake me up. It took months for me to heal, but I gained a new appreciation for the meaning of good health. I started to view my body with all its scars and flaws as a beautiful miracle! Meditating on Scripture and developing my relationship with Jesus has given me a new outlook on life. I don’t want to waste any more time on feeding my insecurities. Even though I still battle insecurity/body image I have learned to lean on the power of the resurrected Christ to give me victory. I just got tired of being miserable and letting Satan win, so I asked the Holy Spirit to give me balance and craving for the right things. I used to be a shop-o-holic as well. If I wasn’t overeating I was overspending! I pray you find the balance you are seeking, Stephanie. It’s no fun being a prisoner in your own body. God bless you!
Thanks I need this today. You gave my testimony
Thank you! Your post was the nudge to get back into exercising…AND to consider the internal vows that I live by. I had never considered it that way. I think my internal vow is to never let anyone emotionally abuse me again. Not a bad goal, but it does control me sometimes. Bless you for your honesty!
I enjoyed reading your devotional today and this post too. I came to your blog from the Proverbs 31 email I got today.
Thank you for this. I have control issues and trust issues. I don’t trust God to be in control of my eating issues. I just keep praying that one day I will trust God completely.
I also struggle with food. It is what I go to 1st in times of need, happiness, loneliness, basically anything!!! This weekend is my Birthday and every year the wish is the same….loose the weight. And I promise myself by my next Birthday I will have lost this weight…..and I never do. I know I need to turn to God 1st and break this bondage and cycle of yo yo dieting and feeling like a failure. That is now the wish I need to make this weekend on my Birthday. God Bless you for your honesty.
I enjoyed your writing about losing weight and making choices to follow the Lord. The verse from Romans 8:5 gives direction and encourages me to set my mind on Spirit which leads to life and peace. My spirit is willing but my mind is weak, I easily turn from trusting the Lord and instead follow my desires for the sugary sweets and breads. Your experience of finding the joy of freedom from bondage to your food cravings gives me the incentive to focus on the Lord in this area of losing weight.
Because of your devotion I realize that I need the Father”s spirit to harness the things that I have vowed to change in my life. I struggle with debt and am tired of living that way so even though I vow to be debt free, I need to cast that on to the Lord for his guidance and trust Him to walk me through. God bless you Stephanie.
i am struggling with a few things at the moment. The first being similar to yours craving suger filled foods and acting in the flesh regarding self control.
The other one is y finances. Both involve self control and have been a very big struggle but i sense that i am close to break through and have really been praying about them this last week.
Recently i realised as a child i had vowed not to grow up. I had to picture that girl and invite Jesus into her life and then ask her to leave as i don’t need her anymore as i have Jesus. It was such a powerful moment and has totally changed my life.
It really is about handing it over to God. Its not easy and sometimes we slip back to old habits. But the fact s we can not do anything without Jesus.
I have never had eating issues, but my dad was an alcoholic. I vowed never to abuse any substance but until I laid it on the alter a number of years ago I did. The freedom of giving it to God was so awesome. I have been sober for over 25 years from speed and downers. Our God is awesome! The issues didnt all go away over night, but within a week I was clean and wow what a wonderful feeling
Stephanie, I so love your heart. Thank you for the wisdom you shared with us today. My fruit of Spirit is self-control in the use of my tongue/words. I have been really focusing and asking the Lord to put a guard and my mouth and a sentry at my lips…to keep me from speaking before I think.
I must confess, I just ate two oreo cookies, and it’s 9:47 at night!!
Love you!!
Wendy
I just started receiving emails from Proverbs 31 ministries and found your blog. It was insightful to read what you and other ladies have written. I am overweight in an unhealthy way. I know what I need to be doing to lose weight from a nutritional standpoint but never do it. I think about it every day and every day that goes by I feel more shame. Something need to change. I need divine intervention. I need to turn this over to the Lord and maybe see a therapist. Please pray for me.
Thank you for sharing so honestly! I too struggle with overeating especially when I am going through difficult times. I have recently decided in my heart to change but have not made much progress. Your blog has encouraged me to approach it afresh with God’s help. Please pray for me and thank you. P.s Am still going through some difficult times!
I am over 100pounds overweight. I have been trying to figure out if my lack of control is due to childhood issues. There are someugly issues. Can you direct me to reading material that would help explain the generational idea? Thank you for this post.
Piecingeachday.wordpress.com
Hi! I ran across your blog today via Melissa Taylor’s blog. I am also from Texas
. I love this post as I too am trying to lose weight. I am 2 months postpartum and still trying to lose 40 pounds to get back to pre- pregnancy. I’ve had a touch of postpartum depression and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, that is no fun! I ask that you pray for consistency in my home and my health. Thank you! Thanks for your amazing and real blog!
Stephanie I am not sure what it is called but I like to shop. I am a frugal shopper if that mak if that is a such thing. I do not buy things at regular price if I can help it and I buy it in bulk. For instance, the store had marked down and item for .25 and they had 15 items at that price I would buy all of them. It would be something the family and I would use at some point and time but not a necessity. I have must up my credit by doing so. I too thought if I got a part-time job I could dig my way out. NOT. I did not do what I had plan do do with the money. It just allowed me to keep doing what I have been doing , buying things on an impulse. I get down and out when I can not go buy something. Much need prayer here.
I too am struggling with losing weight, I am a stress eater, whenever I feel under stress I eat. y family is undergoing some major problems right now, so major stress. I am going to try praying for at least one person, before I give in to my urge to eat. Hoping that will help. Please pray for me.
Thank you Stephanie for sharing your very real struggle with something so many women struggle with. I have lived with this bondage for more than 20 years and I know how painful and how hard this particular battle can be. I too, had the generational yoke of bondage in my family with overeating. One thing that makes this addiction so difficult is you can’t just give up eating. The battle was intense for me for so long I thought I would never be free, but praise be to our God and Savior Jesus Christ! He has delivered me with an outstretched arm and rescued me from this inner struggle that controlled my life. This is very near and dear to my heart because my freedom has just recently come. My prayer is for the one who feels trapped and hopeless today about the battle with food. Keep pressing in to the only One who can and will deliver you. There is freedom for you too. Don’t give up! All glory and honor to Jesus, my deliverer!
Thank you for sharing your story about weight, self control, and generational curses. That is currently my biggest battle, overeating due to lack of self control. I am an emotional eater, stress eater. I recently lost a lot of the extra weight I had gained and was thrilled to be small again like I used to be when I smoked. When I smoked and would get stressed, I would of course just smoke a cigarette and feel some relief. When I quit smoking, I turned to food instead of a cigarette. I had promised myself if I could get “small” again, I’d stay that way. OI have gained back 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks. The weight saddens me, but as I told one of my closest friends a couple nights ago what saddens me the most is that I feel lack self control. God gave us all self control so it makes me feel a failure as a Christian that I don’t use self control.
Thanks for sharing your struggles and where you go for strength, Stephanie! It was something I needed to hear. After my hysterectomy last year, at the age of 40, I put on 40 pounds. I have used the excuse of hormones readjusting and that I deserve yummy things to eat after all I’ve been through. But I am not comfortable at this size and I need to lose at least 25 pounds to feel better. An entire 50 to be at ideal body weight for my height and build.
What I want more than a number on the scale, though, is to be healthy and to be the woman God wants me to be. One that He can use, poured out for His glory.
I haven’t read “Made to Crave” yet, so I’d love to win that. Lysa is a real Jesus-Girl and I love her encouragement.
May God richly bless your journey, Stephanie! And in agreement with Laura, who posted above, Rock on, God’s girls!
Thank you for sharing these words and key verses. This was exactly what I needed to read today. I battle with control over food. I am fine until I have alcohol & then I binge on that and eat everything in sight
. I drink til I can’t think anymore. I know it is stress related. I pray that the Lord as will give me strength to avoid temptation, His peace and I will grow in my faith and work for Him x
I just stumbled upon the devotional on crosswalk.com that you wrote and am awed by how God led me to this site before I even got out of bed this morning. What a strong women you are with such great aspiration. I have fears and struggles.. And know that submitting to God and giving over my fleshly desires are key to serving Him faithfully and finding joy. First time to your blog- thanks!
I am struggling with the same issue Weight Gain and Overeating. I absolutely needed to read this today and God led me to your devotional. Please pray for me. Thank you! God bless you!
After years of struggling with who God made me, I realize that through grief and loss and pain,this drew me closer to draw my strength from Jesus.. prayer and fasting has changed me forever and ended up being the best weight loss plan ever. I am praying with all of you today we nail these struggles back on the cross and live moment by moment holding on to Jesus. Jsus never fails.
I can so relate to the weight issues you described. It has been a lifelong battle for me too. Family gatherings are always a challenge, but work and my personal meals also. I’m trusting that the Lord will chisel what needs to be removed from my life so that I can savor food the way He intended from the perspective of a healthy weight and a healthy life. So thankful for your sharing your struggle – you are not alone!
I have just found your blog through Living a Changed Life and have enjoyed reading it it has been very encouraging and uplifting. I too have problems losing weight and have recently joined Weight Watchers. Thank-You for your encouraging words and wisdom. May God Bless you as you continue to help others.
I am so glad that I read this tonight! About 3 years ago, I was 40lbs lighter and enjoyed the attention and flattery that came with the weight loss. Since then, I’ve gained it back plus some. I’ve attempted to get back to that weight, but always tell myself “I’ll start next week.” Thank you for your words of encouragement.
It’s nice to hear that someone else has the same struggles. Sometimes I feel like it’s just me. Good luck with your goals.
This is such a “God” thing thing that I would have your email to read about dealing a food cravings while I am just reading the book on First Place. Thank u for sharing. I pray that I will turn this part of my life over to God
Stephanie, food has been my struggle for almost my entire adult life. I am pushing 50 and have a beautiful 8 year old daughter. The reality of my age and my excess weight cause me to feel like I have to drop 50 pounds this week and I’m fatigued and then I eat and then i freak out and the cycle goes on and on. I hate it. in reading your article on Prov 31 tonight, i just asked God, “How do i give this to you?” Because i know from too many years of experience, I just can’t do it on my own. I admit i am so weak. But i want to be healthy. Thank you for your transparency and your heart. Pat Parker
food . . . struggle . . . emotions . . . tiredness . . . NO people around me who will or even want to support me . . SIGH! Sound like many of us are in a big boat together!! I too am feeling rather hopeless & alone . . I have a brand new baby & I don’t want my weight/health to be complicated by the weight & the other issues that can follow . .. NEED to focus on what God wants & realized that when I take care of this body, I AM Taking Care of HIS Holy Temple!
Friday’s post was so applicable to me. The struggles I have with weight, and the family history/opinions on weight. My birthday is Sunday, what a perfect time to give this to God and start this year of my life with a fresh and more Godly start… With a vow to Him not to myself.
I just found your blog off crosswalks and will continue to follow now
Cravings of a certain type of foods fats, salts, sugars sometimes come from a lack of viatimin else where. Make sure you are eating long digesting carbs in you are training to run..eating all short digesting carbs maybe causing you to want sweets as your blood sugar drops. Not saying God can fix or take away your craving but as a personal trainer I see that many women fail in dieting because of a lack of knowledge. 
hope that helps
I just happened upon your blog and truly appreciate your honesty in sharing your struggles with us. God’s word is such an encouragement! Keep following Him and He will lead you where you need to go. I have found great strength in Psalm103. Iam so thankful for God’s word to help us get through our trials!
Every word you speak is me to a T! I love sweets/ sugar and have a hard time letting go of it. Thank you for the verses to cling too.
Oh, Stephanie, how I empathize and relate to this particular battle. I don’t know if I will be completely delivered 100% from bondage to this sin pattern on THIS side of eternity, but I have experienced much healing and freedom over the last few years! I celebrate the small victories like being able to stop after a handful of candy corn (versus the whole bag) or one pumpkin muffin (versus 3)!