Before I
get into my “Some Call it Cheating, But I call it Living my Life” entry (which will
be forthcoming) I think I should share some thoughts on freedom.
When an
alcoholic says, “I’ll always be an alcoholic.” or “I’m a ‘recovering alcoholic,’”
they don’t give themselves any room for freedom. It’s the same for obesity. If we continually tell ourselves “I’ll
always have this problem, I’ll have to fight it all my life.” or worse, if we adopt a way of
thinking that this battle is something that God allows for our own good (perhaps
to keep us humble?) we will remain in chains.
Chains of bondage on His children are not God’s intention, ever.
This way of thinking is not based on a solid, Biblical foundation.
I know that
Paul had a thorn in his flesh. Though
the Bible doesn’t clarify what the “thorn” was, I do not believe it was a mental
way of thinking that kept him bound, thinking that he was in a battle that he
(Paul) would be fighting all of his life.
In fact, Paul tells us to “stand
fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of
bondage.” (Galatians 5:1). Somehow,
from that passage in 2 Corinthians 12, we have decided that everyone must have
a thorn in the flesh.
I can’t
find this in my Bible: “We must all bear
a thorn in our flesh.” What I can find,
time and time and time again, is promises of freedom and deliverance. Yes,
we live in an imperfect, fallen world, we will have trials and troubles, but I
believe that this battle of the mind over food is NOT ours to fight. We simply must stop believing that we have
to DO SOMETHING in our own strength, because in “doing something” for
ourselves, we do not fully trust Him, and repeatedly, that’s what He asks from
us.
Choices…I simply must tell you about
choices!!! However, I can see right
now, this is going to be too long for one entry. I am stopping for today…I hate reading
long entries, myself. Rest assured, I
have more to say…
I do have to agree with what you said, Meg. I read this earlier in the afternoon and was trying to think of something to say for a comment, but I do think you summed it up pretty well. We do need indeed to truly trust in the Lord; he does know what is best for us indeed and I do agree with you the Bible doesn't say anything about us taking up our thorn in the flesh; it does say to take up the cross though indeed :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Don't you think that "taking up your cross" is a reference to dying to self, because the cross was (to Jesus) his death to give us life? I don't think it means for us to carry around a burden. Continuing to fight obesity on my own power is definitely a huge burden (it strips me of of so much), and we know that His yoke is easy and His burden light. :)
ReplyDelete