Since I have used this Bible passage as an example of how the Lord God has positively influenced my overeating, this doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the verse. Debbie

COE Support Note:

If you REALLY want to read how Christ helped me throughout this weight loss and even when I was tempted, you should read some of the 100's of previous posts on https://christianovereaterssupport.blogspot.com/

How Could They Be So Insensitive?

So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." John 8, verse 7.

In applying this Bible verse to my life, I think of the conversations I've heard from others about the unemployed.  Some seem less than sensitive to the plight of those who are unemployed. They say things like, "Anyone can get a job if only they tried hard enough or didn't set their sights so high."

With having been overweight for so many years, ducking remarks, looks, and chuckles, I become irrate with those who seem insensitive to the needs of others. I can't understand their being so judgmental, especially in an economy where there has been downsizing and people have lost their homes. How could they be so insensitive?

First of all, this Bible verse reminds me that I have to have a forgiving nature for people who say such insensitive things, for I, too, am a sinful human being and find it easy to get frustrated with people who judge others. So, I end up judging others who judge others. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." John 8: 7.

My Warped Perception...

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38.

Of course, this is what Jesus said to the disciples  who fell asleep while Jesus was praying  in Gethsemane, just before He was betrayed by Judas. When I read the Bible, I try to apply it to my own life.  

There were times I was a stay-at-home-mother and other times where I was a working mother. I was overwhelmed with being a good mother, being a good wife, being a good housekeeper, being a good cook, being a good friend, being a good employee, etc. It seemed that the only time I stopped and took any time for myself was when I ate.

After I had eaten an appropriate amount, I was still exhausted and needed more rest. Rather than own up to not being Super Woman and allow myself a longer break, I decided I was still hungry and needed more to eat. I ate until I was no longer tired. It began a pattern that I kept for many years.

In the period of time prior to the major weight loss that God allowed me, He had me see my actions, almost as if I were in slow motion. I hadn't realized I was doing this, nor did I realize how this impacted my weight and self-esteem. Somehow, in my warped perception, all that time, I felt I was justified in taking this extra time for myself, as long as I was eating.

Fortunately, God showed me what I was doing. I was able to turn this and many other poor eating habits, and my stress over to God, who took them away. I'm ashamed to say that I've reverted back to this pattern periodically, over the years, before turning it back over to God. I just have to remember: Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38.

Caring What People Think of Me...

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psalms 12:6.

I have felt torn this afternoon. I have faltered from trusting God's words and have worried more about what others would think of me, instead. In trying to process all of this prayerfully, God gave me some major breakthroughs. When I'm doing this, my actions are saying, "God, I love you, but I care more about what others think of me than what You think of me. So, I'm going to alter what I do to be more accommodating to the other people I value, than to do what You want me to do."

Now, if that's not an eye opener, I don't know what is! I wasn't aware of what my actions or my lack of actions were really saying and I feel horrible.  All my life, I've worried about what others might think. I worried about their impression of the excess weight I carried for years. I worried what they thought of how I wore my hair. I worried what they thought about how I raised my children. I worried what they thought of me as a Christian, but I wasn't worrying about what God thought of me. I was taking God for granted, because I know He loves me just the way I am.

I was trusting in people and their opinions and placing them far above those of God, although I didn't actually realize that's what I've been doing. Being fearful to move forward in the direction that God wants of me, is still not trusting Him. How can I doubt God when the Bible clearly says: The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psalms 12:6.

Clean Out My Desk Now-I Was Let Go....

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2.

I went to work one day, and one of the owners came to tell me that they had to let me go. I was in shock, because a week earlier the other owner had said how pleased they were with my work. I asked when they wanted this to take affect? He said that he would like me to clean out my desk NOW, if at all possible, because they could no longer afford my services.

Now! Wow...I was so confused and bewildered. How could they be letting me go? I had millions of reasons to rationalize this, but it still doesn't alter the fact that they let me go. I could get into the Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda's, but that doesn't move me forward. There is this instinct that I have to berate myself, taking total responsibility for being let go. Maybe if I had only been better, faster, etc.

God doesn't want this in our lives and He didn't want me eating myself silly over it either. He wants us to move forward in the direction He lays out for us, trusting that He will provide for us, if we trust Him to. Will we have steak every night? No, but God will get us through this. God provided another part-time job in my field. Sure, it wasn't a full-time job, but it helped me develop a reputation with others and I was hired in a related full-time position elsewhere a year or so after that.

In hindsight, if I hadn't been let go from the first job, I wouldn't have been available for the part-time job that eventually led to a wonderful full-time position a year or so later. See, God works in marvelous ways. God had what seemed devastating at the time, lead to something promising in the future. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2.

Open Mouth-Insert Foot...Being Honest With Myself...

Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Sometimes, I get caught up in my own world and think that because I'm a Christian, everything I do is good. There are times, that I can see by the look on someones face, that I had inadvertently hurt their feelings, which was the furthest thing from my intentions. It's not always easy being honest with myself.

I have a choice. I can continue the conversation and not draw attention to the reaction I just saw on their face. The other option is to respond as a Christian, allowing God to provide the words and the humility necessary. When I'm prayerful, God gives me the words to apologize in a way that feels sincere to the listener. Without God's guidance, I'm not able to convey my genuine regret over being insensitive to their feelings.

I have found that when I trust God, He will guide me in ways that defy all my logic. He has healed wounds that a quick response can evoke. I am so thankful I can depend on God during times like these, because unfortunately, I say "Open Mouth-Insert Foot" things without realizing it.  Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Have You Ever Been Around Hateful People?

Psalm 6: 8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Have you ever been around hateful people? No matter what you say, what you do, or how you do it, these people are going to find fault with it. Being basically a person who tries to please everyone, being around people like this has caused me a great deal of stress. I used to eat over it, but nothing happened, except for becoming even more overweight.

There were times, when my self-esteem was low, I even thought I deserved negative behavior and comments from others because I felt worthless. Once I started turning hateful people and my reactions over to God, He freed me from owning the terrible things some people say. God knows what my motives are for my actions and He doesn't want me to feel worse about myself because of someone else's negative comments. The genuine love that Jesus has for us, frees me from feeling like I am, what the negative comment projects.

God wants good things in my life, and doesn't want me bombarded by negative people. God also lets me know that I don't have to keep company with hateful people. Sure, there are those you might be related to. First of all, be prayerful about these relationships and pray that God heals their hearts. Additionally, there are ways to structure your interactions, by distancing yourselves from them, by being busy doing other things, and by not engaging in coversations that are bound to have a negative outcome. Psalm 6: 8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Jumping Back into the Old Guilt Mode Again...

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7

I realized that my food plan had been sloppy for some time, causing me to regain about a third of  the 80+ pounds that I had lost over 30 years ago. With this realization, I became all too aware that I must have gotten sloppy with my relationship with God, since He's the one who allowed me to lose the weight in the first place.

After praying to be more focused on God's will, trying to turn the food, stress, and control over to God, and watching my portion sizes, God has allowed me to lose almost all that excess weight I had gained back in the last five years or so. It's funny how all those old feelings start creeping back in as I've gone through this process again.

I have found that instead of letting people see that I've lost weight, I have been wearing baggy clothes and jackets. A man was flirtatious when I was in a public place today. I did nothing to encourage such behavior and I had my baggy clothes on. Immediately, I jump back into the old guilt mode again like I did when I first lost the weight 30+ years ago, feeling like I am responsible for his behavior.

God wants balance in my life. He doesn't want me flaunting my weight loss, neither does He want me taking on guilt for someone else's behavior, nor does He want me hiding behind baggy clothes. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7

God Doesn't Want Me Sitting on the Sidelines Any More

Hebrews 13: 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

I went to a diversity training workshop with my husband. It made a major difference on my life. They talked about many different types of discrimination, especially that of race. I was no newcomer to discrimination. I had been heavy for years and had people gawk at me, ignore me, treat me like my feelings didn't matter, but that wasn't the case now.

They gave several examples of discrimination, but the one that impacted my life was: that by saying nothing, we were condoning the discriminatory behavior of others. That means, that by my sitting quietly on the sidelines and doing nothing, I was helping them be rude and hurtful to others. 

The Self-Righteous Christian inside me who thought I was sensitive to the needs of others was stunned! That means I can't sit back like I'm invisible, but I have to take an active stance. I have to say things like: "I don 't like it when you say negative things about other races, those who are handicapped, or are poor."  I wish I could tell you that I always do it, but I try to take a more active stand. I know that God is going to provide the wording, because God doesn't want me sitting on the sidelines anymore.  Hebrews 13: 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Leaving Food on My Plate...

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. Proverbs 3:9.

This is kind of a difficult one to explain to someone else, but here goes...When I read the passage above when God had me lose the 80+ pounds over 30 years ago, it impacted my life. Sure, the Israelites, were bringing the first and best of all their fruits, vegetables, animals, etc. to the priests as an offering to thank God for saving them from bondage to the Egyptians.

At first, it didn't seem like this verse pertained to me. Then, I got to thinking...God saved me from bondage to food. I used to eat over anything and everything. I ate over stressful situations, over joyful situations, over boredom, etc. You name it, I ate over it. Well, God took that compulsion to overeat away from me and it wasn't by anything I did. I just told God that I gave up and if He ever wanted me to be thin, He'd have to take care of it...and He did!!!

Starting that same day, I no longer had the desire to eat great quantities of food. God showed me that when I'm stressed, I need to turn it over to Him. When I'm happy, I need to be thankful to Him and react to my emotions in less destructive ways. After that day, I could look at a banana split loaded with crunchy nuts on it and it no longer called me by name. It really didn't matter to me and neither did it matter that others were eating foods I liked in front of me.

After realizing that God had saved me from the bondage to my food, the idea came into my mind that I could give God my first fruits to thank Him for saving me from myself. I figured the very first bites of anything I ate always tasted the best. So, I leave a bite of each food I'm eating on my plate to remind me that God alone has freed me from the compulsion to overeat. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. Proverbs 3:9.

Since I am applying these Bible Verses to my life, it may not convey the whole meaning of the verses. Debbie

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