Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Made to Crave Study, Chapter 2: Replacing My Cravings

Continuing with the Made to Crave Bible Study hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries, in chapter 2 Lysa describes a scenario very familiar with anyone who has ever dieted: weighing ourselves, making plans to do things differently, getting waylaid by the cinnamon rolls someone made or an invitation to a Mexican food restaurant, and deciding that it will be okay to partake just this time or that we'll get started tomorrow.

Lysa got tired of this cycle, knew it centered more around her heart than her meal plans, and knew it was time to surrender. "Really surrender. Surrender to the point where I'd make radical changes for the sake of my spiritual health perhaps even more than my physical health" (p. 27 Kindle version). Part of that surrender was asking herself the question she now asks us: "Is it possible to love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?" (p. 27K). Most of us would have to answer with her, yes, we turn to food for comfort and reward, in sadness, stress, or celebration.

"God never intended us to want anything more than we want Him. Just the slightest glimpse into His Word proves that, Look at what the Bible says about God's chosen people, the Israelites, when they wanted food more than they wanted God: 'They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved' (Psalm 78:18). Yikes" (p. 28K). Those who did so never made it to the Promised Land, but wandered in the wilderness the rest of their lives. 

Lysa determined to "make God, rather than food [her] focus. Each time [she] craved something [she] knew wasn't part of [her] plan, [she] used that craving as a prompt to pray" (p.  29K). She described it as tearing down an impossibly high tower brick by brick and then "using those same bricks to build a walkway of prayer, paving the way to victory."

Sometimes that illustration made it easier, sometimes it did not, and she shares many of her honest prayers, tears, and Scripture passages that helped. And she discovered that "one day of victory tasted better than any of the food I'd ever given up" (p. 30K).

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