I had known persecution most of my life for being overweight. People used to ignore me, laugh at me, and leave me out of things. I pretended that this didn't hurt, but it really did. You could see that by my size. I used to eat to console myself, because I could pretend I wasn't in pain, but God knew I was. Fortunately, when I started turning the issues I used to eat over, into God's very capable hands, people's opinions of me didn't seem to matter to so much anymore. I was amazed, because their opinions of me had been important to me for so long!
When I was divorced from my first husband, I found that people treated me differently. I wasn't used to that, because God had allowed me to loose the extra weight some time earlier. I had gotten used to people treating me with more respect and was taken aback when this happened, and started falling back into old patterns of insecurity.
At first, I wasn't quite sure why I was getting this response from some. Then, I realized that there are those who are uncomfortable around those who are divorced-like it's contagious. I was the same person they knew before they learned of my divorce. Why would they treat me differently than they previously did? God calmed my insecurities and left a feeling in my heart that I don't have to totally understand why people do things. I just have to try to be the person God wants and not respond hatefully in return.
Fortunately for me, it's not their opinion of me that matters. It's God's opinion that I care about. He knows that despite my divorce, I'm the same Christian woman who loves Him and needs His gentle care to heal the wounds of persecution when it exists. O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Psalm 7:1
Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse.
