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Weight Loss Scripture: Put on Righteousness
by Kimberly Floyd Several years ago my nephew, six years old at the time, was playing outside with one of his neighborhood friends while I was inside talking with my mother and sister in the den. Suddenly, we heard a large crash and a sharp, cracking noise. We went into the living room and were horrified to see a small rock lying on the living room floor...along with a neat hole in the center of the sliding glass door that was at the front of the house. Although the glass didn't fall out, the door had hundreds of hairline cracks radiating from the hole in the center. My sister went outside and screamed my nephew's name. He shuffled around from the back of the house. He tried to maintain an innocent look for a moment, and then he burst into tears when he saw my sister's angry face. My sister took him inside of the house and sent him to his room as punishment. A few moments later, I walked past his room and heard him crying inside softly. My heart broke for him. I went inside his room and saw him stretched out on the bed. I asked him if he needed a hug. After a moment's hesitation, he said "yes." I hugged him and told him that even though he made a mistake, it didn't mean that we didn't love him. I wiped his tears and gave him another hug before leaving. To this day, he remembers that act of kindness and is grateful for it. I tell that story as an illustration of the unconditional love God has for you. Because of this love, he sent His son to die for you. By believing on Jesus' name, you have taken off your old self and put on God's righteousness. In simplest terms, the word righteousness means that you are in right standing with God, which means freedom from guilt from past sins. Even if you've made mistakes regarding the stewardship of your body, God is not in heaven wagging his finger at you in disapproval. But He longs for you to walk in wisdom and have peace in all areas of your life, including your health. If you are harboring any guilt or shame regarding your weight, God wants to deliver you from it. He loves you no matter what size you are and His love for you will not be any greater at a size 8 than at a size 28. Take a moment to read Romans 8:1 and then fill in the blank: !There is therefore now no ___________ to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." God's grace covers all of our mistakes, whether physically, relationally, or sexually. If the God of the universe can give you grace, what right do you have to keep punishing yourself for them? Condemnation is one of Satan's favorite tools. In the book of Revelations, Satan is even called the "accuser of the brethren," describing him as accusing them before God day and night. In fact, Satans other name, Devil, is taken from the Greek word "diabolos", which means "slanderer, accuser." The accusers tone is unmistakable. It is harsh, mean, and cutting. The voice goes to the heart of your insecurities and makes you feel small and worthless. To counteract any criticism, whether demonic or human, your first step is always to consider the source and the next step is to consider the motive behind the criticism. In Satan's case, the source is from a known murderer and liar. He is even called the father of lies! You could discount any of his accusations on this fact alone. Satan couldn't tell the whole truth to save his life. But even if you didn't discount the accusation based on Satan's character (or lack thereof), then you'd surely do so when you examine his motives behind his accusations. His motives always fall into three categories: he wants to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of your weight issues, he wants to: Steal your desire to do anything about it, even if you have clear evidence that you should Kill any efforts you are making to change your habits Destroy your identity in Christ Jesus and separate you from God's love and help You can't go out like that! You must fight him and the only way to fight Satan is with the truth of God's word, rightly wielded. For now, meditate on the fact that you have God's righteousness as a believer. Anchoring yourself in this confidence is the surest way to allow the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart directly as it was designed to do. Did you find this information on Women Food and God reviews useful? Read my detailed review, other reader comments about the book, and get my FREE special report 'Overcoming Emotional Eating God's Way' so that you can conquer binge eating now at takebackyourtemple.com. You will discover valuable Christian weight loss tips at the site as well. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |