On Wednesday at youth group, we talked about the traps and snares the devil sets for us and how we can get free from them.
In our discussion time with the eighth grade girls I help mentor, I shared that I really felt that I fell into the trap of overeating way too often. Just that day I had gone to the cupboard in search of a candy bar leftover from Halloween, but I told the girls that I felt like God was saying, “No, you don’t have to eat that right now. You’re not hungry.” So I obeyed and put it back.
At one point in this conversation, one of the girls exclaimed in surprise, “Wait! It’s a sin to eat too much?”
I tried to explain that it can be a sin without heaping shame on these junior high girls who are just starting to think more deeply about what sin is and how they can live for the Lord. I’m not sure I succeeded in getting my point across.
The thing is, we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings in all areas of life. Eating is the area where God is working in me right now. Over the years, I’ve put on extra pounds because I have run to the fridge or cupboard when I’m bored or stressed, and often I’ve continued eating way past the feeling of full signaling that it’s time to stop.
Is that sin? Yes.
Is it hard to see it as sin? Yes.
James 1:14 says, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” I’m caught in the trap Satan set up for me because he knows my weakness for candy, ice cream, and chips.
The only way out of the trap I’m in is repentance. Being truly sorry when I eat when I’m not hungry or eat past that feeling of full. So far, I’ve said I’m sorry, but my actions prove that I’m not completely honest (with myself or God).
God loves me unconditionally. He loves every single pound of me. He’ll keep loving me no matter what pants size I wear.
But he wants my heart. When I feel unsatisfied, he doesn’t want me running to the cupboard, he wants me to run to him.
I can eat whatever I want when I’m hungry, but the Spirit gently nudges me when I sin by overeating. He points out that a bowl of ice cream (when I’m already full from lunch) will not satisfy me. It will just taste good for a few bites and then it might taste like regret.
Hopefully I’ve given you some things to chew on this week. If overeating isn’t a sin you struggle with, maybe you can think of something that has been a trap for you and apply the same principles:
Your desire leads to temptation and sin. You give in and get caught in the trap. You can stay there, or you can repent and get free.
Being satisfied with the relationship we have with Jesus can keep us from falling into the traps of sin that are set for us.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6 ESV)
Is it hard to see some of the things you do as sin? How can focusing on God help you to be honest with yourself and turn away from those things, choosing to be satisfied with God instead?
this is a great reminder Robyn..
I have been reading a Bible app by Lysa Terkeurst, Made to Crave, 21 day Challenge.
Oh, I love that book. That’s great that they have an app/challenge. I hope it inspires you to be satisfied. I’m finding that the closer I feel to God, the easier it is to obey in the area of eating. (That’s scary, because then I have to face some ugly things about myself when I choose to overeat.) Thanks for commenting, Shelley! ~Robyn
Hi Robyn, I think you’ve made a great point about overeating. Too often, Christians focus on the “bigger” sins yet fail to see the “smaller” sin in their own lives. Living a sin-free life is impossible but with God’s strength, we have the power to live a life that pleases God! That’s what I like to focus on! Have a wonderful week!
Susan, thanks for commenting. It’s pretty hard to admit that some of the things we do are sin, isn’t it? It all comes down to where our heart is…and we can trust the Holy Spirit to lovingly point things out. Then it’s our choice to obey or not. Hope you have a great week, too! ~Robyn