Saturday, February 15, 2014

Made to Crave Study, Chapter 12: The Curse of the Skinny Jeans

Continuing with the Made to Crave Bible Study hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries, Chapter 12 is about realizing that even when we reach our goal (in Lysa's case, being able to fit back into an old pair of skinny jeans), that doesn't mean that all will be well with the world and we won't have any more problems. Victory is sweet, but there will still be struggles and temptations. Our ultimate fulfillment doesn't come even from reaching our goal weight, or, as Lysa says, "My body size is not tied to my happy. If my happy was missing when I was larger, it will still be missing when I get smaller. Tying my happy to the wrong things is partially what caused my weight gain in the first place." "I have to learn to attach my happy to the only eternal stability there is and remain there."

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:9-12.

Lysa points out that these verses talk not only of remaining in God's love, but of our joy being complete in Him. "Complete. As in not lacking anything. Complete. As in filled up to the brink with joy no matter if we are wearing our skinny jeans or not. Complete. As in satisfied with a fulness we can't get any other way."

Because we're all incomplete without Him, and He loves us, He wants us to reach out to other incomplete people with His love. 

Lysa realized that "incomplete people" who aren't filled with God's love "are complicated and sensitive and messy in their reactions," and because "they have the potential to drain my resolve and make me grumpy," and though the last thing she wanted to do was to show love to them, she realized that's exactly what she needed to do. Instead of being hurt by their offense, we can look at their hurt behind their reaction, because we have "His joy in [us], sustaining [us], and directing [us.]" She even took it a step farther and began praying about who needed words of encouragement, and spent afternoons writing notes to them instead of thinking about food.

We need to "remember the ultimate goal of this journey isn't about making me a smaller-sized person but rather making me crave Jesus and His truths as the ultimate filler of my heart."

1 comment:

Kim said...

I'm curious to hear your take on chapter 13. She had some very good points, but her main illustration ruined it for me.