Tempted To Indulge My Taste Buds
Obesity (Part 5 of 5)
Gerry White

The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. [7] Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:6-7 (CEV)

I love tempting treats: doughnuts, cookies, cakes, etc. I'm always tempted to indulge my taste buds, even though I know these foods will lead me into sin by making me irritable within thirty minutes, then depressed when I can't fit my clothes anymore.

1. I am capable of blowing it when faced with tempting food.

But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

2. I am influenced by others to eat what is good.

...So she ate some of the fruit and gave some to her husband, and he ate it too.

Genesis 3:6 (Living)

Can you number the times someone influenced you to "try a bite of this."

  • Haven't you taught your children "try this you'll like it" from birth?
  • Haven't you tasted a cookie or piece of pie and given a piece to another member of your family?
  • Haven't you eaten a potato chip and said how good it tasted and then someone else had to have a taste?

3. Food that looks too good to pass up can be my stumbling block.

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'

Genesis 3:2-3 (NIV)

Breakfast, lunch and dinner set the pattern for each day that goes by. You household marks the passing of certain days of the week with the eating of particular foods and the rhythms of formality and informality that surround the sequence of meals. In fact, your meals structure your year. As you move from January to December you pass through seasons, feasts and celebrations that dictate the foods you eat and enjoy.

How to overcome my temptations

1. I must confess I continue to reach for those foods.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

2. I must ask God to strengthen my wisdom regarding my daily food choices.

God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe.

Psalm 18:32 (NLT)

God promises to give you strength to meet challenges, but he doesn't promise to eliminate them.

  • What food do you normally eat when you're:
    Under Stress
    Depressed
    Mad
    Bored
    Moody
  • What's the benefit in medicating yourself with food?
  • Do you enjoy the benefits of growing larger?

Adam and Eve had to make outfits after demonstrating their inability to resist food. Things haven't changed much!

If God gave you no rough roads to walk, no mountains to climb, and no battles to fight, you would not grow. He does not leave you alone with your challenges.

He gives strength to those who grow tired and increases the strength of those who are weak.

Isaiah 40:29 (GW)

3. I must abstain from foods that are a stumbling block for me.

Take action today. Consider which food remains a stumbling block for you. Begin a ten day fast or abstain from that food entirely.

Choose a food that you will abstain from.

Select dates for your fast - mark your calendar.

How important would you say it is for you to overcome your temptations with food? On a scale of 1 to 10, where 0 is not at all important and 10 is extremely important, where would you say you are?

How confident would you say you are, that if you decided to overcome your temptations with food, you could do it? On the same scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is not at all confident and 10 is extremely confident, where would you say you are?

  • What difficulties or hassles have you had in relation to your weight?
  • What is there about your weight that you or other people might see as reasons for concern?
  • How would you like your eating habits to be different?
  • What would be the good things about losing weight?
  • What would you like your life to be like 5 years from now?
  • If you could make this change immediately, by magic, how might things be better for you?
  • What personal strengths do you have that will help you succeed?

4. The Affects of my stumbling block effect the rest of my life.

  • The Serpent was cursed
  • The woman received multiplied sorrow and pain and desire to be led by her husband
  • Adam received thorns and thistles, eating herbs, work as labor and death

What are the affects of your stumbling block?

How has your life changed because of these addictions?

Adam and Eve lost: Freedom. They both lost what they thought they wanted - wisdom. You're not wiser by keeping your addiction, you loose.

Adam and Eve only knew "good" before they sinned.

And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

Genesis 3:22 (NIV)

Commitment

  1. Make a commitment to change today
  2. Make a plan and implement that plan
  3. Integrate change into your lifestyle

Prayer

Father, I must confess today I continue to reach out for tempting foods. I need strength to make better food choices and abstain from foods that I know are my stumbling block. I don't want the rest of my life to be affected by my addictions. I commit to change today be making a plan of action and implementing this plan. Help me to integrate this change into my lifestyle.