So much of dieting is focused around forbidding, getting rid of, never again. Do those words ever work for you? For me, that is kind of like creating a big red button I cannot help but push. Those words communicate despair, flagellation, defeat. Jesus was and will never be about those things.
I did something I rarely do today. I listened to sermons online. To be honest, the only reason I did was because the sermon series this summer is very pertinent to my weight struggle. I missed a few weeks and had a quiet convenient moment at work so... I am sooo glad I did!
My wonderful, godly pastor shared this Sunday about the warnings in the Bible against instant gratification. You can listen to his sermond here if you're interested: WAIT Management by Pastor Tom Hovestahl.
Two things struck me. First, often we think of dieting in the negative. Chocolate cake gives us love handles. We don't like love handles. Therefore, we decide that we cannot have chocolate cake EVER again! You know what happens on day 11 (for me day 2)? Cake for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner...snack. Give me someone who is successful with this diet mindset and I'll punch them in the nose!
The thing is, God gave us the ingredients and capabilities and tastebuds to enjoy that cake. The problem is not the cake, but the fact that we cannot eat it in moderation. We cannot wait for our weekly special treat. The good things God has given us are better waited for. After all, the wait is half the fun.
I notice this especially with music. There is often one special catchy song on the radio that I really must own. I cannot get enough of it! I am constantly flipping channels in an effort not to miss it. Finally, I buy that song. You know what I do? I listen to it over and over and over. The next thing I know, the magic is gone. The song is boring. It becomes that reject song on my ipod. The song I skip quickly past with a sigh on shuffle.
This is not just true for silly things like a pop song or cake. Lack of self-control can ruin the brightest gifts from God.
Maybe I need to change my perspective. Instead of depriving myself, the truth is I am waiting. I am waiting till the right, God-appointed time to enjoy my cake when I can enjoy it in good conscience, wisely.
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