Today, my feelings deceived me. As I woke this morning, I groaned at the thought that today was Wednesday – Weigh-In day. I certainly wasn’t feeling any lighter than last week; truth be told, I felt as if I had gained a couple pounds.
Did I really have to weigh in today?!
If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve committed to report my weigh in to my Facebook group of friends joining me in this journey, I would probably have stayed home from the gym and opted for sugary cereal instead of the scale and exercise.
So I went (out of obligation), exercised, sighed heavily, and stepped on the scale.Up went the numbers as I barely dared to look down at them. Then they stopped. Two pounds shy of last week. Really? I looked stared. It was true! I was down two pounds!!
And yet an hour earlier I was convinced I had gained two pounds. My feelings deceived me.
Had I listened to my feelings and stayed home and overindulged, I would never have felt this victory and probably would have packed on a pound instead.
Today, the truth was much more pleasant than the lie I started to believe.
But sometimes, the truth is much harder than a lie.
Like when I’m feeling good about this health journey and weigh in only to find I’ve gained a pound. Then there’s that other pesky lie I’ve caught myself believing on this journey – the lie that blurs grace and overindulgence. It tells me to give myself a little wiggle room, to give myself some grace and not be so ‘legalistic.’ But the hard truth is that giving myself ‘grace’ is just a nice sounding way of excusing my overindulgence.
Overindulgence is overindulgence. And limitless indulgence in food always has consequences – it compromises our health, diminishes energy to pursue our calling, and affects the way we feel about ourselves, just to name a few.
~Lysa TerKeurst from Made to Crave chapter 13
So today I’m reminded that on this journey toward health and victory (both spiritual and physical), I, we, must always come back to what is true, no matter how painful. Because our feelings are often full of faults, and even full of lies. They will lead us astray if we follow them. The only trustworthy guide is the Truth.
God,
I want to walk in your truth. Walking – it requires movement and initiative. Help me to move in Your Truth and to initiate pursuit of it through study of Your Word. Help me discern between feelings that come from lies and feelings that come from Truth. Help me to stay the course in pursuit of physical health, but even more help me stay the course in pursuit of spiritual health. Thank you for these bodies you have given to us; may we please You, and not substitute You, with them.
kimrettmann.com 