DISCIPLINED Eating

In my head for the past two weeks has been my desire to share with my followers and friends all the things I am learning about eating and especially disciplined eating.

Let me give you a little back story. Right after Christmas I was making a purchase from Christian Book Distributors, and I was about $2.00 short to receive free shipping on my order. I started looking around the $5 and under pages and came across the book, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat: Overcoming the Bondage of Destructive Eating Habits. It was inexpensive, sort of applied to me, so I bought it.

Now lets go even further back in time. In July 2004, I started an on-line bible study geared to set people free from all sorts of sinful behaviors including sinful eating. I went through the course, became a mentor, and lost nearly 65 pounds in the process. After about a year, I left the ministry. Slowly, very slowly, the weight came back on. I sit here today with all of that weight back on me. How did this happen? I have been asking myself this for nearly 5 years.

I think the biggest thing for me was that I never truly saw my eating habits as sinful. I wanted to and even prayed to, but I just never had the heart wrenching conviction that what I was doing was sinful. See, I could justify it all. Everyone in America eats like I do. It tastes good. I'll take care of that "after the holidays, weekend, party, etc." I was deceived and blind to what I was doing.

I know this is getting rather personal, so I hope you will bear with me. Finally I have started to see how my choices are self-indulgent, lacking self control, and most importantly disregard God's sovereignty in my life. I can only attribute my recently renewed vision to the the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. You see, the first time I lost weight it was all my doing. I took all the credit. God's Spirit was not working in my life to help me. I was following rules and being obedient to man's rules for my eating and exercise. I truly believe this is why I have gained back this weight.

The book I have been reading has really opened my eyes and allowed me to deal with some of the hang ups I have had about what is really sinful in certain eating habits. I love how Ms. Fitzpatrick addresses the idea of disciplined eating. She has made it an acronym.

D=Doubt
I=Idolatry
S=Stumble
C=Covet
I=Inroads
P=Praise
L=Life
I=Illustrate
N=No
E=Emotions
D=Distract

E=Enslave
ating

This an acronym is actually in the middle portion of the book, and there was a lot of reading and thinking that had to go on before I got there. I know that this is going to be a journey, but I know that it is one that I and the Holy Spirit are on together. I also know that with the help of God's Spirit that I will never have to go back into those destructive ways of eating.

So, this is where I am at with my eating. I am thinking through this an acronym each day. Well, at least the parts I have memorized. I am going slow so that it really sinks into my heart. I can tell you that in the past two weeks many changes have occurred, and they did not feel burdensome. His yoke really is easy, and his burden really is light.

Be blessed