Who's your Daddy?

I've started a new blog. It's specific to my battle with weight loss and I have titled it, "The Fight to Lose." Weight loss has been a long battle for me. Not a forever battle, but long enough at this point I have probably fought the issue long than I didn't. And what I have come to realize is, that for me, the battle is far more spiritual than just physical. My struggle with food comes from deep within. When I think of it, I am reminded of Paul talking about his own battles with his "flesh" in Romans 7:15 "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. That's me and my fight with food

There all kinds of roots I recognize: bad habits, learned behaviors, emotional issues. In the end though, the root is simple. It's an issue of sin.

I started the blog for two reasons, (1) accountability, and (2) inspiration. They're actually very tied together. If I know someone else is watching me, I will think twice before I fudge because I don't want to cause anyone else to stumble. I know as a believer I'm called to live life openly before both God and man. And I always hold out hope that if by God's grace I am able to walk in some level of victory, then maybe I will help someone else hold on to Him and find the same.

In the end, anything good in my life comes down to my ability to hold on to the Lord. ."Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

A big part of holding on to Him for me this year is about writing in a prayer journal. As last year closed and I prayed about what my goals for the new year should be, I chose to read my bible through in a year and journal to the Lord ever day. Obviously I have a passion for writing, and I know it is a gift the Lord has given me, but even though I have continued to write for His glory, I haven't really written for Him. So every day I have been writing for Him and to Him in my prayer journal.

The other night as I wrote I talked to him about this new blog. I wanted to share a little bit of the conversation that developed there.

From my journal:

Do, do, do - What is the revelation You gave me? It isn't all about the "do." Help me, Lord.

"If you continue to obey My teaching You are truly My followers. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32

"So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free." (from sin.) John 8:36

Who's your Daddy?

If you belong to the Father, you would love Jesus and accept His teaching.

If you belong to the father (Satan, the father of lies) you do what he wants, murderous and against the truth, a liar, buying into his lies.

Lies: that food is a viable alternative to God's comfort, that my body is my own, lies that what I do with food doesn't matter.

So, what is Your teaching? What specifically do I need to obey? Where have I been buying into a lie? Help me to see these things, to call out the lies and it's attached temptation and respond to it with truth. Just like Jesus did when Satan tempted him in the wilderness. To respond in truth I must know truth ad to know truth I must be in the Word and continue in it and obey it."

For me the conversation leading to the revelation was specific to my battles with food, but it is universal to the battle of temptation and sin. The bottom line is, to overcome it we must be walking in obedience to God's word, and the only way to know it is to read it regularly, and with faith.

What are you battling today? What temptation is trying overcome you? The answer to your struggle is in God's Word.

How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
Psalm 119:9