Another why to consider is why would we bring something like our weight, or struggles with food, to God? Does God care about your struggles with weight and food?
The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God that is alive and powerful, applicable to every area of our lives. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
John 8:31-32 “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NLT)
1 John 2:27, “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”
We remain in fellowship with Christ by abiding in the Word. He is the Word made flesh. We can, and do, learn from others whom the Holy Spirit has already taught, but the Holy Spirit is the one who confirms and teaches truth as we stay in the Word and hear teaching on the Word. He is the one who expands our understanding. I pray that you will humble yourself and be yielded to whatever God desires to teach through what He is having me share.
Psalms 37:23 & 24, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” (NLT)
So, does God care about your struggles with weight and food? That single passage of Scripture already gives a resounding, “Yes!”, and a very powerful answer as to why we should look to God, not just for clarity in this weight loss journey, but in every single area of our lives. What a beautiful and meaningful picture we are given of a father preparing every step for His child, delighting in that child, and holding their hand as they follow the path that has already been established for them. He delights in every detail that He has planned for you. I have seen this play out in my own life over and over again and I often imagine God being delighted as He watches me experience and be aware of a detail that he so lovingly crafted for me.
1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
Again, does God care about your struggle with weight? That’s what the Word says – “all your worries and cares”. Here we have the perfect opportunity to do a little exercise that the Holy Spirit showed me, of putting our problem in the context of the Word. What I mean by that is to look for opportunities to put your problem right into the text, where it makes sense. Put yourself in the Word. In that verse, “you” are the understood subject. Replace “all your worries and cares” with your personal worries and cares. As an example, here’s how one of my past worries would look in the Word: “Kim, give [the battle with food and obesity to God], for he cares about you.” We are told to give all of our cares to him. In the King James version, that passage of Scripture reads, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Jesus is the Word, so casting our cares on the Word is very literally casting our cares on Him.
Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens [insert your burden here], and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Does your soul ever feel weary in this battle? Does dieting feel like a heavy burden? Bring it to Jesus. Let Him teach you about what matters – Him.
Psalms 34:17-19, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from alltheir troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”
I love how this verse comes to life as I put my problems in the context of the Word. “He rescues [me] from [dieting].” “He rescues [me] from [addiction].” “He rescues [me] from [depression].” “He rescues [me] from [sickness].” “He rescues [me] from [every bondage and stronghold].” I am one of His people, so when I call to Him for help, He does rescue me!
Are you excited about this yet? When we show our struggles in the Word, they don’t seem so daunting. God hears us and helps us through everything, every time, if we call on Him, allow Him to take proper place in our lives, believe what He has said to us through His Word, and apply it where necessary.
Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”