Weight Loss Through God's Love, Not Dietary 'Works'

Your body is God's temple. It's right to care for it properly. However, it's also possible to get caught up in losing weight for the "works" element rather than out of love for Him.

      For some people, losing weight can be an unconscious attempt to achieve validation. They think, "If I lose weight, I'll show God (and myself and those around me) that I'm a good Christian-that I'm more together and obedient-and that I'm finally good enough." In a way, it's a form of spiritual perfectionism-or bondage-feeling that you have to redeem yourself with weight loss "works" to earn His approval.

      But obedience is supposed to flow naturally out of love, according to 1st John 5, not hold you in bondage or make you feel guilty. The way you eat should not be a tool through which you try to manipulate God. "If I eat properly and lose weight, then God will be pleased with me and give me an easy life." When you think that way, your obedience (or failure at obedience) becomes a tool that Satan uses against you.

      That's why the concept of eating properly as a demonstration of your obedience to God is potentially harmful. It can help you or it can be twisted around and used against you by the Accuser to cause guilt and shame, which, in turn, cause you to feel separated from God.

      God doesn't want you to eat properly for the sake of obedience, He doesn't want you to feel guilty and shameful, and He doesn't want you to feel separated from Him. He primarily wants you to be closer to Him in relationship. He looks at you through the eyes of mercy and love, not condemnation and blame.

      After you overeat, God wouldn't even mention the word "obedience." He'd say, "My heart breaks for you, child. You had a deep need for Me and you tried to medicate your void with food. I wish you could receive My deeper healing instead." He would NOT say, "I'm angry because you disobeyed Me." The latter statement reflects self-centeredness, not love. Therefore, it can't be from God.

      God is not a whip-cracking overlord who cares about minutia like what you do or don't eat. In the New Testament, the Lord said to not worry about what you eat and drink (Matthew 6:25). Worrying about such trivial things distracts you from God and makes you even more vulnerable to Satan's attacks.
God is all about love. He is love. But, He won't love you extra if your obedience helps you to lose your unwanted fat. He won't love you extra if you break out of bondage to food. He won't even love you extra if you draw closer to Him through your weight loss. He loves you the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, no matter how much your weight fluctuates.

      Likewise, failure at weight loss won't bring an eternal penalty. If you've asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life, you are saved by His grace once and for always, again, no matter what you weigh or how you eat.

      In summary, if you're seeking to improve your eating habits, stop trying to force the change through obedience. It often backfires and becomes a tool that Satan uses to cause guilt, shame, and condemnation.

      Instead, relax, let go of the pressure, and lose weight in the flow of God's will through The Eden Diet. You will feel so good emotionally that you won't even want to overeat anymore. Voila! Weight loss the more joyful way-through love!