Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food

I came across this idea on Ann Voskamp’s blog, Holy Experience. I don’t think I will buy the book because my stack of unread books is looking dangerous, but I like the idea.

I have used chocolate and crisps and fudge to deal with stress for years. Though it is a short-term solution which creates long-term problems. Weight, health, annoyance with oneself for succumbing. No long term good at all.

Finally, in despair at my lack of fitness, I started working one on one with a holistic trainer in September. I have shed about 9 pounds, but more importantly, as far as I can tell, seem to have shed the chocolate and sweets addiction. For the first time in my life!!

I think reading books on just how bad sugar is for the human body helped.

Now, I need to retrain my reflexes. If I am stressed or depressed or very low, I need to remember not to reach for chocolate or crisps to raise my blood sugar. Instead pray, or exercise and pray.

I like mid-life. The biggest discovery of this decade for me has been that it is never too late to learn new things, and it is never too late to change.

Anyway, there is an excerpt from the book

Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/01/god-is-my-portion/

His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22–24)

The term “portion control” took on a whole new meaning for me one day when I read the response that God’s people had after Moses led them out of slavery in Egypt.

God had performed several sensational miracles to help them escape their captors. Yet they panicked when food became scarce. They even asked to go back to slavery in Egypt where food was supposedly abundant. But God planned to use their desire for food to teach them about daily dependence on him.

As Israelites traveled through the desert, each morning God would rain down exactly what they needed for nourishment—a provision called “manna,” which I imagine was something like little, sweet, potato flakes. They were to collect just enough manna for the day. They couldn’t gather extra, except before the Sabbath day of rest, or it would rot. This daily process was intended to put them in the habit of dependence on God, and only God.

However, the Israelites began to grumble and turned their hearts against God. So He took them on a detour. Instead of heading straight to the Promised Land of freedom, they wandered in the desert for forty years while they learned how to truly depend on God.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the next forty years of my life learning this lesson.

As we apply this same process to our struggles, we can find that God is the perfect portion for everything we need, every longing we have, every desperate desire of our soul.

God is there when my husband and I have a big argument, my kids are unruly, a business deal doesn’t go as planned, or the bills start piling up. Instead of grabbing a tub of ice cream or ordering pizza, I can ask God to be my daily portion in these tough times.

For example, if your boyfriend breaks up with you, instead of inhaling a big bowl of chips and dip, ask God to be your daily portion of companionship in this lonely time. “God, I hate this rejection and hurt. Sometimes I feel like the loneliness is going to swallow me alive. I can’t deal with this on my own. Will You be my portion of healing and companionship just for this day?”

Or, when your kids are driving you crazy, instead of chowing down three pieces of chocolate cake, you might pray, “God, I so desperately want to be a patient mom. I don’t know if I can be a patient mom the rest of my life. But with Your portion of strength I can rely on You in this moment and not try to medicate my shortcomings with food.”

Whatever your situation, ask God to be your daily portion of companionship, provision, and patience—over and over.

Soon, you’ll find yourself walking in victory over those things instead of looking back over tears and a pile of cake crumbs.

~from Lysa’s book Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food. Madetocrave.org