Lately I've been reading through the book of Galatians.  It has really been hitting home in ways that I had never noticed before.  So much of what we do comes out of good intentions.  We really think that we have to do certain things to be a "good" Christian.  And I've noticed a trend in female Christendom that eating healthy and/or losing weight is a part of those things.  We talk about wanting to be healthy, eating non-GMO foods, low carb, no refined sugars, no fake sugars, no fake fats, etc.  We want to be all that God created us to be.  And certainly, He didn't create us to eat that junk!  Our bodies are His temple anyway, right?  Shouldn't we show respect to His temple?  And how about for our husbands?  Isn't it respectful of our loving hubbies to make sure that we look good for them?  And yes, for several of those reasons and more, I started on a diet.  Then a friend asked me about the diet I was on and it brought up all sorts of thoughts.  Let me share with you a note I wrote to her.

     There is a bigger discussion here though that I've been trying to work through myself.  The diet- it doesn't control our flesh. Low carb, no refined sugars, no fake sugars, no fake fats or any diet-type eating does nothing to control our flesh. And we can work and work and work in our own strength, lose weight, look great... Then when we get tired and give up on that, we're back to our flesh. All that working hard to lose weight, be healthy, look good- it's all positive flesh. We're still in our flesh, doing fleshy things. It's just as bad as eating poorly, stuffing ourselves. It's all flesh. Both good flesh and bad flesh are still flesh. You know what I mean?   My diet- it's been good for me. More than that, it's been like the Law of God. The Law brings conviction, it points out our sin even more than we saw it before. The Law brings repentance. The Law does its work, pointing out the need for a Savior. But when I set that Law up, I'm setting myself up for failure. In my own strength I will always fail. It's the job of the flesh to fail.

Flesh = death

Diets = death

Low carb, no refined sugars, no fake sugars, no fake fats = death

Healthy eating = death

(I'm serious.)

So what produces life? Only Christ. Only Christ produces Life. And it's not Christ &... (Christ & diets.... Christ &  low carb, no refined sugars, no fake sugars, no fake fats.... Christ & works...) So even though I'm currently on a diet, I know deep in my heart it is not the end. It is not going to produce Life in me. It will produce death. I'm still on it in the meantime- while the Lord works out other areas of my life. When HE is ready, He'll tell me and I'll go off it. I'm sure He has a time in mind.

    Meanwhile, I've been researching Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It's been eye opening and a really fantastic thing. At the same time, the Lord is really showing me that I utterly rely on myself every second of every day. What I've come to is the end of my own physical, mental and emotional strength. It's all gone. Every last ounce is gone. (You have no idea how true this really is- I am trying my best to make it clear.) I wake up and now have to acknowledge, "Lord, my strength has failed. My own sufficiency is decimated. I am unable to do it!! Thank you Lord, for Your Strength. You are my strength." I literally mean, "Lord, You are my physical, mental and emotional strength and apart from you I have nothing!"

My husband used to pray, "Lord help us to do better...." And then he would say, "God never answers my prayer." A good friend later said, "Yup, God never answers that prayer. God will never answer a prayer to strengthen your own flesh so you can keep trying in your own self will. However, He will make sure that your flesh fails to point out more acutely your need for Him."

I know this is not what you were asking for when you asked about my diet. And the diet system is a good program that will work for a season. I'd even say, "Go for it." And God can use it. But what I really want to say is that in no way will it ever give you Life. In no way will it ever give you Peace. In no way will it ever give you what you're really desiring.

There is something much, much bigger here that we both need to grasp. I'm not there yet, but I sure do trust in the Lord's timing it will come. Meanwhile, I'm not sweating it.

Grace and peace to you my friend. Don't sweat your body image. It is not you. It's just your flesh. You are seated at the right hand of the Father. You are loved and accepted. You are a daughter of God and He made you uniquely to be you! You can't get any more accepted than that! 

Oh- and don't think I'm sitting like a blob over here all the time. The Lord really is my strength and has graciously allowed me to make it to every appointment my kids had this week, make some meals, get some housework done, etc. Every single moment is a gift from Him. Every single step! This song is what the Lord used to take me down this path-

 "Please Be My Strength" by Gungor

I've tried to stand my ground
I've tried to understand
but I can't seem to find my way

Like water on the sand
or grasping at the wind
I keep on falling short

Please be my strength
Please be my strenth
I don't have anymore
I don't have anymore

I'm looking for a place
that I can plant my faith
one thing I know for sure

I cannot create it
I cannot sustain it
It's Your love that's keeping (captured) me

Please be my strength...

At my final breath
I hope that I can say
I've fought the good fight of faith

I pray your glory shines
through this doubting heart of mine
so my world would know that You

You are my strength
You and You alone
You and You alone
Keep bringin me back home

I hope that the Lord used something in this post to bless you.  Remember, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law (diets/healthy eating), Christ died for nothing!"  Grace and peace to you!