Cooperate Please

Cooperate Please!
(The title is a little throwback to Steel Magnolias, for all you fans out there!)

 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2 Timothy 2:15

There are two types of people in weight loss.  
Those who have made up their minds, and those who haven't.  
And by making up your mind, I mean you have decided for the very last time, that this will be your very last weight loss journey.  
No matter what.  
That's not to say you won't slip up along the way.  You will.  But it's o.k.  You have determined in your heart that nothing is going to stop you this time.  

Then, there are those who, unfortunately, experience one bad weekend, or frustrating weigh-in day, and you find yourself eating everything in sight. Why?  Because,
"Well, it's never going to work anyway."
 "I am not "him or her.  I can't do what they did."  
"I CAN'T lose weight."
 "I have always been this way."
 "It's too hard."
"I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!"

The latter was me most of my life.  Terrified that I just couldn't do it.  Temptations overtaking me to the point that I wouldn't just eat, but I would binge until I was physically ill.  Giving up and giving in was not just overeating a little, it was gluttonous to the point of literally making myself sick.
It's a dangerous place to be.  Robbing you of the freedom to love others and grow in your relationship with God.  Literally like a hangover after an all night drug/alcohol binge.  
This is serious stuff.

Then, it's followed up by complete denial and avoidance of the issue at hand.  Lying to myself, my family and most importantly GOD.  
And make no mistake, it IS impacting every area of my life.
(Yours too, if you can relate.)

  I know what it's like to fear not being able to lose weight.  
I know what it's like to binge to the point of sickness.  
And I know what it's like to shut the world out because of frustrations and fears regarding my weight.

But I also know what it's like to find freedom.  And I want you to know that your freedom can be found too.  In one word:  COOPERATION.
 God needs your cooperation.  He will go before you and fight your battles, but you have to remember what you have been called to do in the battle too; COOPERATE.
If you are resisting the due process in your weight loss journey; refusing to journal, weigh in, communicate with others on the journey; you are disengaged and not cooperating.  You are too far off the battle field to hear your commander in chief.  
You're not following the battle plan.
One day in reading through 2 Timothy, a phrase in verse 15 got my attention.  It reads,
"A worker who does not need to be ashamed."
In that moment I realized that the conviction I was feeling about my eating was not just the shame of having eaten too much, but the shame of having exploited this temple God created.  The place where the Holy Spirit resides.  Time and time again I had violently corrupted it with vile eating, bingeing and purging.  
It was blatant sin and disobedience.

I share none of this in condemnation or for the purpose of shock.  I simply want to bring awareness to the sinful behaviors that Satan tries so desperately to keep undercover.  
We must always be aware that until sin is brought into the light, it cannot be cleansed.

If you can relate to this on any level today, I want you to proclaim your victory in the mighty name of Jesus.  You see, we were created to share the good news with the world, and l am here to share the good news with you.  God is fighting for you.  As the song says, "He's pushing back the darkness."
 The dark places of your secret eating and irrational fears about your inability to lose the weight.  He's ready to bring you to victory today.  But He needs your cooperation.
Will you cooperate please?
 
Let's Pray.
Dear God,
Praise Your holy name!  I am going to new levels, and releasing sin and suffering to You.  God, I knew on some level that my eating was sinful, but today You have shown me such love and mercy.  Helping me realize that the only way to truly rid myself of the sin related to my eating and my weight is to bring it into the light.  I lay it all at your feet today.  Giving You full control.  I am ready to cooperate.  Thank You for freeing me of ALL my sins.  Even sins related to my weight!
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray,
Amen
 
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I'd love to continue this journey with you through my first published devotion:
 Your 40 Day Miracle
Get your copy
 HERE 
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E4M DAILY STRATEGY
Cooperate Please!
Cooperation means working together.  
On the lines below, share how these verses relate to your health and wellness journey and how you can cooperate with God in your weight loss journey through obedience to these verses. (Pay special attention the phrases in bold.)

1.  "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  John 14:15
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2.  "Brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1
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3.  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
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4.  "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."  Hebrews 12:14
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