Self Control And Pursuit Of Godliness With My Eating Habits

As I shared in my previous post, pursuing godliness in the day-to-day is a Christian’s call. While the Holy Spirit transforms us, we have a responsibility to work with Him to deny ourselves and seek what is good. I find it is easy to forget that this is a daily calling in which God seeks holiness in every part of our lives – the big and the small. Today I want to share about my conviction to be more self-controlled. The area of struggle is self control with my eating habits.

The Struggle

Since my pregnancy, I’ve developed a bad habit of eating, not only when I’m hungry, but when I am restless or idle. I find myself making my way into the kitchen numerous times daily, searching the cupboards to find a satisfying snack. And forget about having three square meals a day, I’ve been shamelessly eating at any time of the day, even if its 5 minutes before bed. If the sustenance was actually healthy, I wouldn’t be as concerned but I’m aware that I’ve been making very poor food choices, mostly for sweets.

Okay, stop, what are you thinking? I can imagine you rolling your eyes (especially if you know me) – whatever your eating habits are, it sure doesn’t affect the way you look. Well I hope you will keep reading. I know, it is common for people to give me the stink eye when I complain about food. Being naturally thin, I get shushed before I can finish a sentence if it’s about my weight or eating habits. I’m thankful for my good genetics and high metabolism but it sure can be a deceiving stumbling block too.

Whether or not it is apparent to the eye, my eating habits have had a negative impact on me physically, mentally and spiritually. Physically, I feel significantly weaker and less energetic. I recently caught on that this might be the cause of some health related issues I’ve been experiencing too. Mentally I am dealing with guilt – warranted or not, it is not pleasant.  Above all, this is a spiritual issue. I am aware of my lack of self-control as I give in to my cravings time and time again. Whether you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God – but I knew I wasn’t eating in a way to glorify God. It was to please my flesh.

The Need For Self-Control

In the grand scheme of things, my eating habits are hardly an issue – it’s not like I’m on a dangerous trajectory to acquiring an eating disorder. However, I am convicted that this is an area where change is needed because the call to holiness is holistic. As His grace shines light in all the dark corners of our hearts, we must eagerly allow grace to saturate and transform us. A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal 5:9). A little sin affects the whole person (and others). So we must be diligent to identify and fight all sin.

My eating habits frustrate me because there is evident lack of self-control. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and although we (Christians) are born of the Spirit, our flesh still wages war. If we are not diligent to fight back, the flesh controls and eventually masters us. We must practice self-control in every area of our lives in order that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh but rather live by the Spirit. The beautiful thing is that we are not acting in our own power. Thanks be to God that it is His power that I am able to better control myself.

Application

In my struggle with self-control, I’ve sought to:

1. REPENT of my sin, ask forgiveness, seek strength from the Lord and be rest assured that He will do it.
2. SEEK the Lord by spending time in prayer and in His Word. Spiritual disciplines naturally transform our hearts. The gospel becomes fresh again. I remember that Christ has given me freedom from sin and victory to obtain godliness. The Holy Spirit works in me to produce self-control. It helps me to say no to ungodliness.
3. TAKE practical steps. Here are some of mine:
   • Distract myself with daily to-dos. When my day is busy and full (especially when I’m out), I don’t have time to ruminate on what to eat. I try to have a few goals to tackle each day. Whether it’s taking Rosie to her programs, getting the laundry done, or finishing a blog post, these goals keep me oriented each day.
   • Set out daily rations. I am notorious for searching through the cupboards for snacks. When I set out a daily ration of snacks that I’m “allowed” to eat on the counter, I don’t waste time browsing for more.
   • Put the junk away. Naturally it’s more tempting to binge when I see a box of chocolates sitting on the counter. Putting it away does wonders.
   • Say no to junk. George and I used to be pretty good about this. You couldn’t find any store-bought junk food in our house. Unfortunately we are lazier about this now and will have to try harder to not buy junk food.
   • Go to the grocery store on a full stomach. It’s amazing the stuff I buy at the store when I’m starving. Lesson learned, I actually always go shopping on a full stomach now.

Prayer

Lord, I repent of my lack of self-control. Help me with self control with my eating habits. May I not overlook the small issues, even my eating habits. I know that you are glorified when I make sober choices. Let me discipline my body and deny myself of my fleshly desires because there is something greater: Your Son. Above all, let me taste and see that you are good, you who are the bread of life and living water. Let me remember that only you can satisfy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What are some of your day-to-day struggles with self-control? How have you tried to combat them? Let us know below!