Don't Eat Your Way Out of the Pit

source

While Jon and I were gone in the Northwest we faced some incredibly challenging circumstances. After the initial shock of what had taken place I had the urge to eat come over me! I said it out loud to my sister-in-law, Teresa, that I was starving. However, as I began to think about it…how could I eat at a time like this? I refused to eat, because I knew that in that moment if I went and got some cake that I would have fallen to emotional eating.

As I let the weight of the circumstances fall heavy on me I began to realize that I really was not hungry at all. The truth was that these circumstances had upset me so much that I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to eat a few pillow mints and felt like I was going to throw up. It was not until the next day when my stomach finally began to settle that I knew I should eat, even though I was not feeling hungry.

This devotional from Lysa TerKeurst is so relevant to my life and the struggles that I face every day with emotional eating. I honestly believe that many times I eat, because that’s what I am used to doing in these kinds of stressful situations. It is the only thing that I can control in that moment.

Changing your old habits is a process and takes time. Be gracious with yourself as you make these kinds of changes, because no one is perfect. Cling to the Lord, because He will be faithful to complete every good work in you.

. . . . . . . . . .
Don’t Eat Your Way Out of the Pit
May 26, 2011
Lysa TerKeurst

“Three times a day, he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10b (NIV)

Have you ever been in a pit? Yesterday I was. And you know what pits make me feel besides frustrated and down? Hungry.

Usually my pit comes when circumstances roll into my life that I can’t control.
Circumstances that affect me, but that are beyond my control, make me want to find comfort in things I can control. And eating sure does feel like an easy to get comfort.

But, in these situations, what feels comforting going in my mouth often doesn’t settle well with my heart.

Overindulging in junk food makes me feel guilty. And once guilty joins me in my pit, it only compounds my issues. So, if we can’t eat our way out of a pit with junk food, what can we do?

If I’m truly hungry, I grab a healthy option. Then, I intentionally look for something for which to be thankful and get my mouth busy praising God.

Even though I may not feel like praising God in the midst of my pit, something starts to shift in my heart and in my attitude when I see blessings in the midst of burdens. Each thing for which I verbalize my thankfulness is like a stepping stone out of the pit.

And this isn’t just my idea. It’s biblical. Look what happened when Daniel took this approach to the pit he found himself in.

In Daniel 6:10, Daniel had just learned that if anyone was caught praying to anyone else besides King Darius, they would be thrown into the Lion’s Den. That’s a serious pit! But Daniel’s reaction is amazing.

He went home, threw his windows open, and prayed anyway. I’m not thinking he did this because he felt good. I’m imagining he felt like anyone would feel in overwhelming circumstances. But he rose above his feelings to make a choice.

And do you know what he chose to pray?

“God, save me!”

“God, it’s not fair!”

“God, this is too much!”

“God, smite my enemies and wipe them out!”

“God, You know I can’t handle this without extreme doses of chocolate!”

No. None of the above.

What Daniel prayed is a powerful lesson for me.

Daniel prayed, Thank You God. “Three times a day, he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10b, NIV)
Since Daniel’s response is so opposite of the way most of us would react, it makes me stop and ponder. Our initial responses are usually a by-product of the rituals we’ve established in our life. Daniel had made it his habit to be thankful.

Therefore, who God is and what God provides was front and center in Daniel’s heart — even in the midst of heartbreak.

I am so challenged and inspired by this. Where do I run when life presses in on me? Who or what am I really dependent on? Do I have a habit of inviting guilt to join me in my pit? What might happen if I stopped grabbing for comfort and instead embraced the perspective change of thanksgiving?

Yes, life will be full of pits. But, that doesn’t mean I have to be a pit dweller or a pit eater.

Dear Lord, I know it is normal for us to sometimes find ourselves in a pit. But we don’t have to stay there and we don’t have to try and eat our way out. Thank You for providing Your timeless Word to point to the way, the truth and the life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.