Sowing to the Spirit Pt II

This whole weight and health thing I’ve given to Jesus is resulting in some interesting consequences. I do realize it’s only been a couple of days, but I am surprised at what I’m seeing.

First, in the last couple of days I have found myself LEAVING FOOD on my plate. And NOT THINKING ABOUT MY NEXT SNACK while watching TV. Anyone out there with a weight challenge knows that this is quite amazing.

Now, I’m not always doing well in my repentance (total change from the way I used to behave.) By that I mean that often I don’t remember to talk to Jesus before I eat, or plan to eat. I sometimes forget to thank Him for His provision until I’m actually putting the bread in the toaster, or the cookie in my mouth. But when it hits me, I stop, literally, and thank Him for what He’s provided in such abundance, and I pray that He will use it to strengthen my body to do His will.

And you know what? I really mean it when I say it.

The usual prayer was always ‘use this food to strengthen MY body’, which translated to ‘keep me strong and healthy and feeling good so I can do whatever the heck I want, when I want and how I want!’. That was sowing to the flesh.

But now when I talk to Him about food, I really am thinking about what He might want to do with my strong, well-nourished body. So that’s a major shift.

Second, every morning I put my dog on the treadmill to exercise her (it’s winter you know!) and I do some low-impact aerobics while she’s jogging. It’s a major chore and I do it because I love her, and it’s good for me (Ick). But the last 2 days, when I’ve told myself I will go for, say, 20 minutes, I find myself going a little longer because IT FEELS GOOD! Can you imagine???

I think the shift is twofold. First, I’m shifting my focus from taking care of my own needs to asking Jesus to use the energy from the food for His plan. Second, I’m refraining from figuring out how many calories are in the item, how much fat, how long since I last ate, how soon til I can eat again… all those seriously life-consuming dieting rules and regulations.

Those are the reason I keep giving up my diets, even when they’ve been successful. I don’t have the desire to put that much energy into eating or not eating for the rest of my life. I want to focus on other things.

And this is exactly what Jesus told me to do. Focus on HIM when I eat!

But here’s the kicker. When He told me that, six months ago, I translated it to mean I needed to basically say grace, and then count my calories, turn away from the succulent dessert, and overload on spinach and celery. I was still thinking it was me, myself and I who had to achieve this.

But He’s saying I only have to repent. Then focus on Him. And even tho it’s only been a couple of days, I really find I’m not thinking of food anywhere near as much as I normally do.

Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Lord, I am delighting in You. You are amazing and as I learn more about You I am captivated by all that You already do, and still want to do in me and through me. Lord Jesus, I want Your desire in my heart. To heck with the things I desire. They’re pathetic in comparison to the promises You say You want to bestow on me in Your Word. So Jesus, as I delight in You each time I nourish myself with Your provision of food, I beg that You will place Your desires in my heart so that I will yearn only for that which is a blessing to You.

In Jesus, I pray.
Amen