It’s the month of chocolate, flowers, candy, champagne and romance. It’s also the month of really high expectations and really big let downs. This month, probably more than any other, is when women tend to lose it. It’s peak season for meltdowns of all kinds with the ever-present box of chocolates readily available to solve the problem. I don’t want that to be you so I decided to take a minute to addresses the issue of emotional eating, which if we’re not careful, we can all succumb to from time to time. Maybe it’s not emotional eating that gets you but emotional ________________. You can fill in the blank there to whatever you struggle with. My message still applies so I hope you will allow me to speak into your heart.
I heard one of my favorite pastors say this one time:
“You don’t have a problem with self control. What you have is a problem with love. Any bondage is simply that. It’s not knowing how much you’re loved.”
This hit me like a ton of bricks.
You don’t have a self-control, self-discipline, or emotional eating problem…what you have is a love a problem.
This is so profound and simple and so very true. When you know you’re loved you don’t need anything to fill you up or comfort you. Stay with me here.
A woman that knows in her heart she is loved may be the most unstoppable force on the planet. Have you seen this? Watched it play out in your own life? Think back to when you were in that giddy flirty stage with your spouse or significant other. There was nothing that could stop you right? Nothing you couldn’t do and it didn’t matter what anyone else said or did. Love was all you needed…it’s what gave you power.
You see, as a woman you were designed to thrive on comfort and love. It’s at the core of who you are and it’s the most powerful force in the universe. It’s why us gals watch chick flicks, eat brownies, read romance novels and post sappy love quotes on Pinterest. We’re looking for love, affirmation, and comfort and sometimes will do whatever it takes to get it. And if we’re not careful, chasing momentary comforts can lead to major consequences in our lives and even major areas of bondage… much to our detriment. Most of the time the brownies, cookies, fast food, wine, etc isn’t really about the food itself but about the hole in your soul that needs to be filled. I used to do the same thing when I blamed the fact that I drank a fifth or more of whiskey every weekend on my “Irish background and ancestry.” The real truth was, I was desperately seeking love. Something I had convinced myself I didn’t need or want. How silly I was.
The bottom line is our soul has an appetite. It’s always hungry and needing to be nourished. It needs to be fed. We get ourselves in trouble and misery when we seek to fill our souls with anything other than our God in heaven, the one and only true lover of our souls. He will have no other idols before him and you can take that one to the bank.
So how do we nourish and fill our souls with Him? How do we fuel up on his love? Well I can tell you God is not in a 12-step program or self help book. You can’t put him in a box or try to follow some magic formula and then all your problems with be solved. True soul nourishment is the only cure for emotional eating or any sort of lack of self-control. You’re not going to get that from showing up at church on Wednesday and Sunday when it’s convenient and expect to live a victorious life. You have to be willing to spend time with him everyday so he can cleanse your heart and fill your soul up. He wants in on every part of your life. Even the food you eat. You have to be willing to submit to his will for your soul, spirit, and body. You have to be willing to move from mere head knowledge about God and get it deep down in your heart. That’s where true transformation will occur.
Simply put,
Love him
Worship him
Talk to him
Listen to him
Obey him.
Take him out of the box you’ve put him in and let go of the false images of him in your mind. Learn who he is by reading his word and seek him with all of your heart, mind, body, soul and strength. The more you seek the more you will find and the more he will fill your heart up. It’s a wild love relationship like you’ve never known in your life. He has all this just waiting for you. He loves you that much. He isn’t a harsh taskmaster. He delights in you! You are his special treasure. Make him yours and your life will flourish. Let him in today.
Lastly, I want you to know that God tastes better than any brownie, cookie, lasagna, or bottle of wine ever could. There really is no comparison. He is ready to fill you up so much you won’t even know what to do with it all. IF YOU WILL LET HIM. Open your heart. Let him tear down the walls. Invite him in and ask him to fill you. Start believing, knowing, and acting out of his great love for you. If you know how much he loves you then you will want to reciprocate that. Part of which is taking care of the body he gave you and being filled with fruit of his spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and last but not least SELF CONTROL.
So the next time your wanting to comfort and seek love from food or whatever else, slow down and seek him instead and wait for him to fill you up. He will. Taste and see that the lord is good and you will be blessed!
Fighting Right There With You,
Lindsey Nadler
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