I started my first “diet” when I was in the 6th grade. I was chunky and awkward and the boy I had a crush on had called me “blubber butt” while I was rounding the bases in kickball.
That was the beginning of a love-hate relationship with food that would last the next four decades.
For years, when my children were young, I handled the stress of motherhood by over eating and bingeing on sweets. Because of the extra weight I carried, I couldn’t play with my children the way I wanted to and I was embarrassed to be the “fat” mom.
Reality really hit me when my husband and I had taken our youngest son to the city and had a little time to kill. There was a monument that we decided to go see and instead of walking with them I told them I would wait in the car. My feet hurt too much to walk that far. My son was ten years old. When they walked away together that day, I knew that something had to change. God had more for me and I had to find a way to take control of my addiction.
I started researching surgery options. It was a frightening thought to do something that drastic but it was MORE frightening to think about what would happen if I didn’t. I prayed and asked God to confirm to me if this was the path I should take. One morning after seeking God for an answer, I woke up and I heard him say, “this is the way, walk in it.” I got out of bed and I thought I remembered there being a scripture with those words and I started searching. I found it in Isaiah 30:21:
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”I knew that God was walking this path with me. God wanted me free and provided a tool to help me.
As you read this maybe you can relate to the struggle of addiction. There are so many things the enemy can use to keep us bound: the need for approval, pornography, gambling, work, success, fame, money, alcohol, prescription drugs, and the list goes on. As Christians we are not immune from his tactics. In fact, I would bet if you are pursuing after Jesus, temptations will come. Thankfully, James 4:7 says,
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Maybe you are neck-deep in the grips of addiction. You’ve given in so many times that now you need help to unlock the chains. Friend, I want to encourage you today by reminding you that there is NO SHAME in Christ. Don’t isolate and hide in the pit. JESUS WANTS YOU FREE! Who can you reach out to for help? What tool can God use to deliver you? Don’t wait.
Writer, Stacy Riddle