Last week we started our “What if” series that will be posted on Wednesdays. I asked you to share the “What if’s” you need help with in your life. You know – what if you could think differently about the shame you feel about . . .? The first one mentioned is likely at the top of the list for many of us. You got it. Our weight.
What a time to talk about this one, right? Smack dab in the middle of the holidays. Why not put it off until January? Well, that’s the point now, isn’t it? Part of the problem we have with weight is we want to wait to deal with it. We have so much baggage in our mind from past failed attempts or comparison, that shame blocks our way.
[Tweet “Part of the problem we have with weight is we want to wait to deal with it.”]
What if shame from weight loss could vanish just like the pounds we want to get rid of?
So, truth be told, weight has been an issue for me. I have not overcome in this area of my life.
Yet.
But I am making progress and I am on the hunt for it. And shame is no longer holding me back.
Why? How? We almost don’t want to utter those questions because of fear of failure. Do we dare try again? When our resolve dissipates by lunch time, if we can make it that far?
We choose to lose.
We choose to lose the battle with weight rather than the weight itself. Shame won our battle of the bulge because we let it. We allowed discouragement to settle in because our mind could not overcome the shame we felt for not achieving our objectives. The battle of the mind is hard. It is laced with shame that inhibits our success. But it doesn’t have to have the final answer.
New Mindset
The genesis of our weight loss quest for me has often been grounded in guilt. Shame. I can’t squeeze into my size 10’s the way I could before. I don’t like the way I look in the mirror. Or I feel deprived having to count calories while my skinny husband (who is not overweight) can eat about anything he wants. Finding better motivation can change the game. Gaining wisdom and understanding in the quest gives us a purpose far beyond embarrassment or vanity.
The Real Battle
The real battle we face is not food. Nor shame. It is the flesh. Our flesh does not want to have to submit to a healthier lifestyle. This does not mean we are shamed. It means we understand the real enemy. And we can form a new plan with the help of a friend, the Holy Spirit.
Realistic View
We can skip the shame when we realize weight loss is hard. Let’s call a spade a spade. We will have times when we fail. And times when we succeed. I have been doing Weight Watchers to help with accountability and am heading the right direction. But rather than riding the high’s and low’s, I have chosen to adopt an attitude that focuses on a spiritual rather than a fleshly approach to weight loss.
The Real Root
The cause for losing our battle with food is not the diet. The real root to our struggle with weight is spiritual. We have let ourselves be mastered by something created – food. This girl does not want to go down as being bested by wings or desserts. When we are tempted, we can respond as Christ did. Running to the word of God and the Father in prayer. And calling our struggle what it is: idolatry. I know that is hard to hear, but anything we cannot say no to us we are giving it dominion. No shame needed to enter at this moment. Just honesty and crying out to God.
[Tweet “The real root to our struggle with weight is spiritual.”]
New Goals
As we discover the root cause, realigning our goals to ones that glorify God can make all the difference in the world. Our goals were likely in the wrong place and the fruit of that was shame and feeling defeated. Losing weight so I can be fit for service to God and glorify Him? That is a worthy goal, my friends.
Don’t be afraid of failure. Shame does not have to hold us back anymore. We know how to deal with shame now, don’t we? Through Truth, Humility and Grace, we can extinguish shame. If you have not bought the book, Shame Off You yet, now is the perfect time—I have a free Companion Study Guide to go with the book to help you apply the principles to get rid of shame. Sometimes we have to figure out how to get rid of shame before we can get rid of the weight.
Why live with shame when you don’t have to? God has provided a way for us to remove shame and live in victory. Come and release your shame in Jesus’ name. Shame Off You details a biblical method for removing shame and is available at many retailers. Here are a few places you can get Shame Off You. Let me know you bought Shame Off You and receive a free bonus digital download.