Made to Crave

I have spent the last week going through the study, "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries.  It was the exact study that I needed at the exact moment. My friend let me borrow this study, which is six twenty minute sessions on DVD. I am amazed at what I have learned. For my entire life, practically, food has been a great struggle in my life. My weight has been a struggle. The lies I have told myself, the mean names I have called myself. And watching this series, was so eye opening, so heart opening to the power that God can have in my life, even with this food issue, if only I would let Him. There is so much more than losing those pounds, fitting into skinny jeans or seeing that perfect number on the scale. This issue is something God has given me! Its something that He has given me, in order to keep my focus on Him. I have missed this concept all these years. I have decided to complain about it, feel guilt, when He wants to use this in my life for His glory and good so that I can stand and say I am a courageous woman in Him! This is a spiritual battle and if our heart is focused on Him, He will give us the courage to resist all things that are not beneficial to our lives. Once we see it as a spiritual issue, the peace that comes with it, is what our weight loss goal is all about. "We were made to crave God, not food."

So as I was watching each session, I took some short handed notes that Lysa talked about. I am just going to throw them down here in this post, so I have reference to look back on. If you have any questions on any of the points, please ask and I can expand on her teaching.

If you get the chance to view this study, do so! You wont be sorry. Its so heart opening of how thankful we can be for this "dreaded" food issue in our lives, if you struggle with it like I do.

My notes:

"remember who you are" to stay away from desperate situations 

How can u keep your children in high expectation when u have desperate struggles too?

Holy spirit determination

Take that old saying of "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and throw it out and change it to this: "Nothing tastes as good as peace feels"

Mind set on peace

Goal is not to be thin, it's to reach out on our call from God and feel peace

The worth of you is not a number on the scale, your weight loss goal is peace

If u feel uncertain to eat something it's probably the holy spirit saying it's not Gods best for

****Romans 4:19-20

Food is the energy we need to serve God!

Our souls yearn for God  before we even know about God- crave Him and others need to see that

Deut 2:3 we have circled this mountain long enough it's time to head north!

Word: Truth 

Even when we start to see success, we feel peace in our mind- most dangerous because old lies start coming back up and trip us up...thinner dreams makes us right- things of our life are all fixed but if our center is not done- not having Gods word stable in us, that success of getting in our skinny jeans doesnt create happiness- you can still be lonely sad...skinny jeans don't fix anything except what the tag says in the back. If our only goal is to get skinny and we r still lonely sad and guilty the sting of sacrifice of not having yummy delights they begin calling our name. If skinny jeans don't keep us on track then what does?

I need, deserve that treat (triggers) triggers are so powerful- negate triggers by matching with a truth! In order for our center- our souls- to be done enough we must have truth to withstand. Skinny jeans is no match for triggers.

Identify old lies and match with new truths. 

We r going to be victorious women bc we have Jesus with us even in eating, not bc the diet program is working.

Eph 3:17-19 holy spirit power fullness of God, not of that brownie (old lie- brownie makes me happy)

Such a failure with eating- truth- not a failure lavishly loved child of God. Holy spirit is gods gift to me. 1 John 3:1 

I love French fries- they do not love u- truth: isaiah 55:11 those French fries will return to me empty! Gods word will accomplish gods desire, not empty!

Psalm 107:17-20 sent forth his word and healed them! Matched it with truth

What old lies do u have? Match it  with truth and a verse 

Luke 14:28 counting the cost of food  calories and how much it takes to burn it off- it's not worth it! Practically count the cost. Spiritually count the cost! You were made to crave- desire want greatly God. Not food. Jesus girlfriends said amen!

Japanese saying "hara hachibu ni isha irazu" a stomach 8/10 full needs no dr- portion control

Permissible- eating is a good thing to nourish our body- is this food  beneficial? Food is permissible, yes! 

Life Is magnificent and God is magnificent and we Diminish him in so many ways

God knew we would struggle with food- it's in the bible!

Is it that big of a deal? Prop that Satan lured eve with was food- it was used to cause great devastation. God cares about food in our lives! 

Psalm 78:12-16
Red sea
They forgot the magnificence of what God did! They continued to rebel against him. They forgot- so caught up with thoughts of food. God cares!

Ephesians 5:25 
Eph 5:33
Husbands love your wives- in the midst of these verses- make her holy by cleansing her...we are made holy when we let Gods word wash out old lies- wash us with truth/the word! Radiant= magnificence of God- not to be depressed, allow ourselves to call us ugly/emotionally abuse us. We r to be presented as washed by the truth! 

Phil 3:18-19
Mind is on earthly things- (scale, number on those jeans)- not a diet. It's a spiritual commitment ti remember the magnificence. Body is reflection of magnificence that we know about God. 

Rev 2:17
Hidden manna- spiritual nourishment to have Gods portion everyday! In the face of temptation ask him to be your portion.

Daily dependance on god- all summed up! With god all things are possible. 

Manna- gather enough for one day. Ask God everyday to help to be dependent on Him.

Psalm 73:26
Lam 3:22-24 the lord is my portion
Matt 6:11 

Write a new name this week- replace those emotionally abusive names. courageous woman
Victorious

Food is not our enemy, Satan is- he wants to render us for Christ

Food is not bad- is this food beneficial to me, to serving God fully? Having a little bit of a treat is not a sin- its when we allow it to make us feel happy for the moment instead of craving God to be that joy in that moment or turning to Him

Jesus has infused you with courage! Your victory is determined by the very next choice u make, not by yesterday. 

1 cor 6:12
Everything is permissible, but if you are not beneficial, I am
Not putting u in my mouth 

You learn to walk to the family pantry- you cannot remove all the tempting food

We have to make the courageous choice. We can learn it all but we have to make the courageous choice not to be consumed with our food any longer. 

Be sold out craving God and not food- stand at that pantry to make that courageous choice not for others but for you, to be sold put for Christ 

We serve a God who flips the unlikely things around to use them for good!

Why God is this MY issue? It's so unfair. I have to face food all day! 
Had I not had this issue I would have never known how courageous I could be! Simple courageous choice as a women who struggles with her food. God thank you for letting me have this issue, I would have never discovered these truths. Let god touch u in that deepest place. Empowered with realities of god!

1 thess 5:23-24 god of peace- weight loss goal is peace! He will do it, you pause before that cookie and say you have no power over me- I will go to Jesus! 

Our god is faithful and he will give me the power to be more courageous than I ever knew I could be!

Thank you god for my food issue, I am
now a courageous woman walking in absolute victory!

Duet 6:8-9 mark this journey it's spiritually significant

Joshua 4:1-7 this is significant- practical application come up with a spiritual marker- never forget you are capable of craving god and god alone- you are a courageous women!

Turn from dieting mindset to choosing victory/courage. I choose you. I was made to crave God and God alone.

I am victorious because of Him!