Self-Control

Self-Control

            “Be careful of what you pray for.”  How many times have you heard that, or maybe said it yourself?

            Well, I’ve been asking God to remove pride from within me.  Guess what?  He’s been answering my prayers.  No surprise, right?

            First of all, when I went to the car wash (the kind the car passes through on some kind of “magic belt”) last Thursday, had it not been for staff, I would have run into the pick up in line in front of me.  Because my windows were fogged over, I couldn’t read the instructions, and I hadn’t put my car in neutral.

            Then, also last Thursday, I totally forgot to post to Sharing Glory, and Gloria had to remind me of my omission.  Please forgive me, Readers.

            Being humbled can be a shameful place—if I allow it to be.  Or I can allow God to teach me that “in my weakness, He is strong” (2 Cor. 12:9).

            How easily I can forget that in my eating.  Self-control is not a strength I can just will within myself, but if I allow the Holy Spirit to guide my life, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).  God can be my strength in my food weakness.

            Be careful of what we pray for?  I don’t think so.  God knows what we need.

My Source of Well-being

God, You must tire of my constant moaning about my overeating and lack of weight loss. Yet here I am, a month later; another pound heavier. How can that be? I’ve begun water aerobics regularly. I’ve been walking on the treadmill. I thought the exercise element was what I was lacking.

I also thought I deserved that delicious pint of YO 2 coffee-flavored frozen yogurt.

I have a thinking problem. I justify in my mind the overeating. “I exercised. I skipped breakfast. It’s yogurt, how bad can it be?!”

In this instance I read the label closer and found that the pint was actually four servings of 220 calories each. That is 880 calories for the pint. I ate it anyway.

“I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord, my only source of well-being”,” (Psalm16:2 NET). “I have no good apart from you…”  (Psalm 16:2 ESV). Amen.

It is a new month, a new day. I might as well start fresh, again. What I need is a forever good-for-you healthy diet where I eat what my body needs to live and be strong. Lord, I can’t do it without you.

Will you join me in trying again to lose the extra pounds? Beginning with smaller portions of a healthy diet and keeping the exercise. Hold me accountable next month and I will do the same for you. Let’s do this. Together.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore,” (Psalm 16:11 ESV).

Gloria D. Stewart