“Just one won't hurt.” “ I really don't eat that much.” “ My body size doesn't bother me.” “ There really aren't that many calories in that.”
THESE ARE EXAMPLES of "food lies": things we tell ourselves to keep us from knowing the truth about our eating. Danoski (see previous posts) goes on to say, “The only way we can allow ourselves to continue doing something we know is so harmful to our bodies is to lie to ourselves and, in some cases, to others.”
In this chapter of 90 Truths she talks shortly about how we begin to associate food with emotional triggers: chocolate = comfort, peanut butter = safety, milk = attention/love (as a baby), lollypop or candy = recognition for good behavior (at doctor’s office), etc.
Then we find that food no longer does the trick and it turns on us. Ms. Danowski writes that, “We no longer feel good after we eat, and in a misguided attempt to capture those good feelings, we continue to eat more and more. We know deep inside of us that eating isn't doing what we want it to yet we still keep hoping that we can fill the emptiness inside of us with food.”
Her suggestion to changing this behavior is to stop before you begin to eat something and take a moment to write down your thoughts and feelings. Be totally honest with what you are feeling, focusing on what reason you are giving yourself to justify eating that food, at that time of day, in that location, surrounded by which people, …and what you think it will do to help you. The next task is to write down the truth next to that untruth, that food lie. ( i.e.” I really don't eat that much?” = “I am probably eating more than I think.”; “Just one won't hurt.” = “Eating one will lead to eating the whole bag”.) The book goes on to say if we journal and keep writing down the truth we will be enlightened and our emotional eating will stop.
Now I come to the real truth or The REST of the story...
At some point in my youth I turned from child-like innocence to telling lies and letting Satan lead me astray. (Children are innocent and sinless - Matt. 18:3) Then I started believing the lies and acting on them - which created a huge, dark gulf between the holy, pure, Light of Truth and myself.
But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life.” Romans 1:18-23
Even though God cannot be in a place of darkness (like my heart and mind filled with lies and sin), He planned a way for His Love and truth to “passover” the dark gulf that spanned between His Holy presence and my sinful soul.
God’s plan of salvation IS
the story of the Bible from beginning to end;
from man’s exodus from Eden to Christ’s empty tomb.
The only way that I can keep from trying to fill “the emptiness inside of us with food” ;
is to fill the void and darkness with the Light of Truth.
Journaling the food lies and the emotional truths about my emotional eating is a good tool and great idea but
filling my soul, my life, my thoughts with the truth of God’s eternal, unfailing Love for me (a sinner) – this is the only solution, the only thing that can fill the emptiness and replace the lies.
WORD = LIFE
My gracious Lord, thank You for Your love and mercy. Without You I am lost. Please help me to see the truth about my addiction, my need for food. In Christ name, Amen.
Song: Prince of Peace Control My Will http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/425
Bid this struggling heart be still:
Bid my fears and doubtings cease:
Hush my spirit into peace.
Opened wide the gate to God;
Peace I ask, but peace must be,
Lord, in being one with Thee.
May Thy will and mine be one;
Chase these doubtings from my heart,
Now Thy perfect peace impart.
Thou, my life, my God, my all;
Let Thy happy servant be
One forevermore with Thee
No comments:
Post a Comment