Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Made To Crave Day 11

Chapter 5 - Made For More.

1. "I was made for more" is a spiritual truth that unlocks great power for Christians. When you think of your past failures and your current struggles with food, how do you hope this truth might help you?
There are times when I think that getting healthy is hopeless. Every time I lose weight I gain it back. Every time I work out I eventually give up and stop going. There are times I think is this really worth it? all this work, all this pain, is it really worth it? But knowing that God made me for more then my struggle with weight. God made me for more then to consume food. God made me for more then being stuck in sin. God made to serve him and to do it with everything I have. Not just the small part I have left after food destroys me. 

2. When you introduce yourself to someone you don't know, how do you define yourself? What might your introduction reveal about how you understand your own identity?
My family is huge to me. I love them to bits and they often come up when I'm introducing myself. My job always seems to take a long chunk of the get to know you strange as well, Part of that could be it's a job not many people have heard of so it takes some explaining. But lets be honest here I don't really introduce myself to many people who I don't know. I'm very worried about being rejected and so I'd rather just not try, it's much easier. This reveals to me that I don't see my worth in Christ. I see it in my family, I can see it in my job. I know in both of those things I am accepted and loved. But in me being me. In me being a child of God I fear rejection from others, even in the church. I fear that they will judge me on my weight, my sarcastic and slightly awkward ways and that they won't get to know me. Because of this I shy away from meeting new people. 

3. Have you ever felt like your identity was defines by your circumstances? If you were to describe your identity as Lysa did, what would be on your list? (Lysa, the broken girl girl from a broken home)
Andrea, the fat girl.
Andrea, the loud girl. 
Andrea, the one with the huge family.
Andrea, the home schooled girl.
Andrea, the girl who has been forced to grow up early.
Andrea, the good child.

4. How does this understanding of how God sees you impact the circumstance based view of your identity you listed in response to question 3?
God sees me a his child, he doesn't see me as the one who's been hurt or judged or who tried to fill the role her parents wanted. Rather he sees me as a confident, victorious. accepted... child. Knowing this, seeing this makes me think, I don't need to fear what others will think of me because I should find my identity in Christ. In him I am made who I am meant to. I don't need to let my past or my present define me I need to let him define me. 

Andrea, the forgiven child of God. (Romans 3:24)
Andrea, the set-free child of God. (Romans 8:1-2)
Andrea, the accepted child of God. (1 Corinthians 1:2
Andrea, the holy child of God. (1 corinthians 1:30)
Andrea, the made-new child of God. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Andrea, the loved child of God (Ephisians 1:4)
Andrea, the close child of God. (Ephesians 1:4)
Andrea, the confident child of God. (Ephesians 3:12)
Andrea, the victorious child of God. (Romans 8:37

5. Read Ephesians 1:17-20 and then reflect on the following questions:

  • Be persistent: "I keep asking." Do you have any reservations about asking God for wisdom and power each day to help you on this journey? How do you hope persistent prayer might help you?
This has been my prayer since day 1 of MTC that God would give me power, that he would guide me and show me the truth. This prayer has been answered every day! God has been so faithful and each day he is giving me all I need to be taking steps forward and for resisting the temptation to be lazy or the temptation to eat off plan. It's one of the big things I know I need to carry away from MTC, come to God and ask him for your power, wisdom, direction etc and he will guide you.  
  • Embrace a true identity: "Glorious Father." With what untruths about your identity have you struggled? How might your life change if you could embrace the truth of your identity as a child of God?
That I'm not as important as others, or God. I am only good to have around when I'm being useful and helpful.  That I'm not worth being loved for me but only for my actions. That everyone else is not dependable, I'm the only one I can trust. I think that last one could even go as far as for many years I thought God wasn't trustworthy. I couldn't depend on him. I would know I'm important because I am me. Not because of what I do but just because of who I am. I am also seeing that others will let me down but I need to be okay with that and let others in. and I need to realize that God will never let me down. He may not always do what I want when I want and he can make my life hard but he always has a purpose and he will always be there to carry me through to the other side.  
  • Find the deeper reason: "So that you may know him better." How might God use your journey toward healthy eating as a way to help you get to know Him better?
When you need to spend so much time trusting someone else. When you need to spend so much time in prayer and you need to take time to learn the truth about yourself and your situation God will become more real to you and each step I take in this journey he's right there helping me along. Just being so emerged in him and what he wants and needs from me is bringing me closer to him and into a better relationship with him. In just 10 short days I know him better and in another 10 I know I will be even closer.  
  • Discover a hope and power like no other: "That the eyes of your heart might be enlightened." To what degree do you feel like everything depends on you - your willpower and determination? A little, a lot? To what degree do you believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is also available to help you? A little, a lot? As you reflect back on each day, how will you know whether you relied on your own strength or learned into God's strength?    
This time I realize it doesn't depend on me much at all. Each other time it depended on me and my strength I totally failed. I have realized this time to only way to be completely successful in this endeavour is to be willing to admit my weakness and my total lack of control and give it to God. When I lean in on him, I know that he will be faithful, he is faithful and will help me succeed. I never knew that the power available to me was that strong, strong enough to raise Jesus from the dead. That is HUGE! I knew that I had power through God but my idea of his power given to me wasn't even close to this reality. I will know if I relied on God's strength when I am successful. I know I can't do it alone and I will keep reminding myself of my past failures, only to keep reminding myself of the power of God working through me.  

My Excuses - overruled
I'm tired - OVERRULED! - Eating well and getting regular exercise will give you way more energy and then you won't be too tired to do other things you need to!
I don't feel good - OVERRULED! - First off are you really sick? Okay you are then just get up and move around your house. get your 10,000 steps in, eat healthy. Do everything you are capable of that day, you won't regret it!
It's not working fast enough - OVERRULED! - first off this isn't about the results physically but spiritually. and second if you're getting smaller it's working! what if you were gaining a pound a week would that be okay with you?
I'm busy - OVERRULED! - you're not that busy! You need to make eating right and exercise a priority in your life. If you need to get up early. But you know when you want to do it you will find a way!  
People need me - OVERRULED! - Are those people going to die without you? If you're not taking care of yourself then you're not going to be very good for others. And really there's not 60 min in your day? Liar!
It's the weekend/it's my weekend  - OVERRULED! - PERFECT! you should have lots of time on your hands then! Go for a hike too!
I just don't want to work out/eat well - OVERRULED! - Who cares? Not me. Get up and get moving you'll be glad you did. Eat well and tomorrow you'll be glad you did! Trust me on this one just do it!
I just want pizza, cookies etc.  - OVERRULED! - that's crap and you know it. So either you find one of those things that you can fit in your plan or you pray because God's power is greater then pizza power.
I'm too sore to work out  - OVERRULED! -  Go you'll feel better once you get there and get moving. Work as hard as you can, maybe you'll be a bit slower today, well would sitting on the couch for an hour have been better for you?
My weigh in isn't for another week. This one time won't hurt  - OVERRULED! - first this becomes a habit and then it's half way through the week and you're still off plan. second when you eat those things you're being disobedient to Christ who is calling you to obedience in this area!

Victories:
1. Stuck to my plan
2. Made it to the gym
3. Got in over 17,000 steps ( I aim for 10,000)
4. Have been spending lots of time in this study and reflecting on how it needs to change me.

Prayer:
Lord, Wow! the truths that you have shown me today are amazing. Lord, the way you see me blows my mind. You don't see a fat insecure girl you see a lady who just needs you. Lord, I thank you that you are revealing so much to me and that you are utilizing this time so well! I thank you that you are showing me the truth in this journey. The truth about why I would eat and how I would justify it. The truth that you are bigger then all of that and in you I can be bigger then all of that too. Lord, I pray as I go into today, a busy day, that you would be reminding me of the things I learned today. That you would be making them real to me. Lord, give me your power to day to say no to temptation and yes to those things I need to do that are difficult for me. Lord, help me to be a light for you today. Lord, thank you that you are faithful and with you we will make it through today on track and a little stronger! Thank you God for your word and for the change you are doing to my heart, continue to change me. Amen

Daily verse: Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. 2 corinthians 5:17

Here is a song that I find reminds me of who I really am in Christ. I don't need to be defined by my sin or past but rather by Jesus Christ! Because through him I am a new creation and no longer need to be my old self!


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