His Best

His Best

Recently, I became acquainted with the writing of Barbara Taylor Brown, an Episcopal priest.  She writes that God loves all of me—every wart, wrinkle and fat cell.  That is, He loves my flesh as well as my soul and spirit.

Hm, you say, “But you haven’t seen my body.”  Doesn’t make any difference.  He loves every inch of us.  And why wouldn’t He?  Because He loves us, He created us; we are His. True, Scripture tells me gluttony, which is a type of greed, is a sin:  Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you.  Such sins have no place among God’s people (Ephesians 5:3 New Living).  But would overeating be a sin?  Does it offend God?  Hurt Him?  I don’t think so.

I am no theologian, but these are my thoughts on those questions.  You probably agree with me that because He loves us, God wants only the best for each of us.  One aspect of being our best is to be healthy.  And how often does the medical industry tell us that being overweight causes cancer, heart problems, strokes, etc., etc.  Obviously, being overweight is not our best.  Medicine continues by telling us that to live healthy we need to exercise, rest, and eat healthy.

So maybe God, in His wisdom, calls overeating a sin because He wants His best for us and His best for us includes being healthy.  The Scripture verse Gloria responded to at the beginning of this month tells us how to do that: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

So we can achieve God’s desire for us to be the best we can be through God’s power, the power of the Holy Spirit.

                                                                                                            Sharon Witty

                                                                                                            April 20, 2018

Hope in Temptation

“Words are the voice of the heart” is the inscription on a square stone plaque that I keep on my desk. As a writer, many of my blogs and letters gush with the words of my heart. That‘s just who I am. When it comes to eating, my cooking is another form of expressing my heart. I love to prepare a big meal for family, including many of their favorites. I want nothing more than to experience their delight in something they have a craving for.

My problem is the leftovers. I spent hours in the kitchen preparing deliciousness. It breaks my heart to throw away what I labored over with all my heart: so I eat and eat. 

Perhaps your food temptation is something else. Or perhaps you struggle with a different kind of food issue. Some binge, some starve themselves, some are closet-eaters; others are overeaters like me. Food has been a problem for humans since the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden. But, there is hope.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

Some things that help me with my food temptations are: 1. Go brush my teeth. I don’t like to eat when my teeth feel nice and clean. 2. Do something or go somewhere that I can’t or won’t eat: wash dishes by hand; knit, crochet, or sew; work on the computer; work in the garden; exercise; drive the car. 3. Remove the temptation from your access: give the food away, throw the food away, put the food in the freezer. “…He will provide a way out…”

If you have suggestions that work for you, we’d love to have you share them with us as a comment, so others can be helped, too. Thank you!

Remember: at the end of the day God still loves us 

By Gloria D. Stewart

Fear, Timidity, Love and Self-discipline

As I sat down to the computer to prepare my post for this month, I had no idea what to write, so I acted wisely—I prayed!!  The following thoughts came to mind.

 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline”

 (I Tim. 1:7, (New Living translation).

Earlier this month, Gloria shared with us her thoughts on this verse, reminding us to stick post-it notes around our homes to keep us focused on the task before us.  I’d like to continue reflecting on this verse.

I returned  home Tuesday, March 13, from a trip to Florida where I visited my husband’s brother and his wife, and gathered with three high school friends, one of whom lives in Florida.  The week was a blessed time of fellowship. 

As with any vacation, food was a definite part of it.  As I reflect on this verse from Second Timothy, I think of the fear and timidity I often feel around others when sharing food.  I am timid about turning down food offered to me/prepared for me by others.  I fear offending them, yet I know how overeating or eating certain foods sets up a craving within me that is often difficult to curtail.  Although I did say, “no” while in Florida, I said “no” with fear and self-consciousness.

And the thought comes to me if I know I am going into such a situation, I need to prepare myself by praying—praying for a spirit of love and of self-discipline, praying that the Holy Spirit give me the words to say, in love, to turn down food I know is harmful to me and that He fill me with the self-discipline I need to turn down such foods.

Claim God’s Power as Your Own

Sharon’s last blog was “Self-Control”. God led me to 2 Timothy 1:7 during another Bible study this month so I’m going to follow God’s pathway and Sharon’s lead because it must be the direction I need to go.

I am empowered when I read this scripture in 2 Timothy. And I know I really need to be empowered. I’m going to post this verse in noticeable spots around the house so I can be reminded and remember the promise God gives me and you!

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline,” (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).

Positive self-talk and reminder notes of encouragement really help me keep my focus on God and what He can do in my life. This weight-loss/healthy-diet/healthy-body challenge that we share feels like a mountain climb at times. That’s how this blog was established. Sharon and I hoped that God could use us to help others who struggle, too.

Try writing this scripture and posting it somewhere and let it speak to you in the weeks ahead. And claim God’s spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline as your very own.

Gloria D. Stewart

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