Does God care about my weight?
This is a question I hear often and my answer is always the same. YES! I do believe God cares about your weight. He cares but not in the same way you care. On this particular day the question was posed by a woman desperate for change.
She was 5 foot 3 inches and weighted almost 300 pounds. Her demeanor was one of utter defeat. Before I could even begin her physical exam she started giving me all the reasons why she could not lose weight.
I’m pretty sure she thought I was about to give her one of those doctor-patient talks that goes something like, “You must eat less and move more.” That statement is 100% accurate, but it failed to address her real problem. Her problem was not simply a problem with food or inactivity, she had a problem with coping with uncomfortable feelings. It’s a problem I know well and one I’ve had to seek God’s help to overcome myself.
In my own personal weight loss journey, I’ve found my weight often reflects what is going on in my spiritual life. Stress and fatigue are the motivators behind my comfort eating. As the consumption of these foods increase so does my waistline. Have you ever wondered why they call the foods we consume when stressed “comfort foods”?
Comfort foods are foods use to create a sense of joy, calmness, happiness, and satisfaction. Comfort food are meant to fill a need. Unfortunately they are a poor replacement for the real comfort we seek. I believe God cares about your weight not because of the number on the scale. He cares because the pounds reflect more than your Body Mass Index. Each change on the scale indicates if you have been turning to Him to meet your comfort needs or if you have found relief in misplaced cravings. God cares about your weight because He cares about your relationship with Him.
A healthy body is not simply a skinny body. Medically I’ve treated many unhealthy skinny women and I’ve also found some very overweight women to have great blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A healthy body is one that is able to function at it’s highest capacity. It’s a body whose immune system is able to fight off viruses and disease. It’s a body with strong healthy lean muscles and an appropriate distribution of body fat. It’s a body free to enjoy movement and activity. The human body is one of God’s greatest creations and when it functions properly it glorifies Him.
So as you press on into week 2 of The Holiday Undiet, take a moment to reflect on the lyrics of this song: Click Here To Listen
Be Glorified by Ron Kenoly
Be glorified, Be glorified
Be glorified in the heavens
Be glorified in the earth
Be glorified in this temple
Jesus, Jesus, Be thou glorified
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:36
Dieting does not work. You will require ongoing strength and inspiration to reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Let’s enter 2015 with a mindset focused on getting to the core issues of what’s been holding you back from the body and life you desire. God is ready to help you on any journey which brings Him glory.
If you have found your healthy eating plan derailed this holiday, evaluate what happened that cause you to get off track. If you are eating more of your favorite comfort foods, determine what is making you “uncomfortable”. What is causing you to seek comfort? Then take that uncomfortable feeling before God and ask for His help.
A practical step you can take during times when brownies or chips are calling your name is to purposely resist consuming them until you have done the above exercise. Identify what has you troubled, stressed, or feeling lacking then spend a few minutes sharing those feelings with God. Journal or even search for a scripture on the topic. The point is to steer yourself away from things that will never truly satisfy to the One who is able to meet your need.
If you haven’t done so already you should sign up for my newsletter at the top of the page. You don’t want to miss the Guilt-Free Fast Food Guide I will be sending out to my subscribers this weekend! It’s printable and perfect to have in your car or purse as a quick reference when traveling or out shopping this season.
May I say a quick prayer for you before you go?
Father my friends and I desire to have bodies which bring you glory. We want our outward self to reflect the inner work you are doing inside of us. May we glow with health. May we overflow with joy. May Your peace be reflected in our gentleness and kindness toward others. May our bodies function at their maximum capacity to fight off disease, resist cancer, and heal itself. May our rest be sweet and may our eating be done with mindfulness. When we need comforting, may we turn to You instead of food, drugs, shopping, alcohol, or any other vices which will only fail us later. Thank You for loving us just as we are. And thank you for loving us too much to leave us as you found us. We receive with joy the healthy changes that are occurring within us, Your temple. Be glorified Lord. Amen.
Saundra Dalton-Smith is an internal medicine physician, author, speaker, and hope activist. She shares with audiences nationwide on the topics of eliminating limiting emotions and helps them see their options in life. She is the founder of I Choose My Best Life, a movement to renew hope in a generation where depression, stress, and fear is peaking. Her books include Set Free to Live Free: Breaking Through the 7 Lies Women Tell Themselves (2011) and Come Empty: Healing For Every Place Life’s Hurt You (2015).