Desperation breeds defeat...

I have told many about the secret to my weight loss was the Made to Crave bible study by Lysa TerKeurst. It set the stage for my success...but there are still choices, hard ones, I have to make every day.  I'm leading another group of women through the study right now and this is my third time through the study; it doesn't get old.  It's packed with so much wisdom, based on scripture...it's amazing. You should read it. I'm sure I will lead another group and you should join us.  Okay, promo done.

This weeks chapters talked about how desperation breeds defeat.  Oh, how I found this to be true Saturday morning.  I went to a women's event at our church.  I knew there would be many delicious and enticing treats awaiting me there.  I also knew that a) I am now a walking billboard for Made to Crave and should be an example and b) because I plan my meals now I knew I would be going out on a date with my husband that evening and would rather spend my calories there.  So I ate a sensible breakfast before I went and choose the clementine slices, passed over the amazing looking cinnamon rolls and picked a bite size muffin.  I sipped my coffee and enjoyed the fellowship and the speaker. I wasn't longing to go back for the cinnamon roll or anything else. I was completely satisfied. That's progress for me, my friend!

After the event was over I dashed off to do the grocery shopping.  It was lunch time and I had an extensive list but I didn't want to waste a minute of my anniversary date with my husband grocery shopping.  As I set off down the aisles of Wal-Mart my stomach started to growl. Everything began to look so appealing. I started to sweat a little. I even got a little shaky.  I realized I had probably drank more coffee than I should of and I probably needed to eat.  I was beginning to feel desperate.

It started with "I can grab a banana or apple and eat it on the way home." and progressed to "I could grab a doughnut or a candy bar and eat it on the way home and no one would know." (Old habits die hard.) I knew I was in trouble and so I started to pray my way through the store. I started repeating my power verses. I got out of the middle of the store and got back to shopping the perimeter.  I finished quickly and went through the check out with Holy Spirit empowered determination to not give in to my impulse to grab one of  the delicious snacks conveniently displayed right there. I packed all the groceries in the back of my van and gave a sigh of relief.  When I got home I choose an apple and followed my menu plan for the day.  But I can say desperation breeds defeat, it really does.

This morning I read in our chapters for the week: "How do you grow close to God?"..."By making the choice to deny ourselves something that is permissible but not beneficial. And making this intentional sacrifice for the sole purpose of growing closer to God. After all, Jesus Himself said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me' [Luke 9:23]."

That doughnut or candy bar would have been permissible to me but it had no benefit to me whatsoever. Honestly the sugar would have made me feel worse and it would been followed by guilt and shame. Denying ourselves something  is hard. But Jesus asks us to do it and do it daily.

Desperation may breed defeat but it doesn't have to end that way. We just need the tools and some Holy Spirit empowered determination to avoid and remove us from desperate situations. We need to make the daily choice to deny ourselves and take up our cross, each and every day my friend.

Here are a few of my power verses that may help you in a desperate situation:

Everything is permissible for me - 

but not everything is beneficial.

I will not be mastered by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12

For God did not give you a spirit of fear.

But one of power, and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

So I say, walk by the Spirit,

and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16