“Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:2-4 KJV)
In the late 1970s, I moved my family to Quebec, Canada, to minister in a French congregation. I was a slim and trim 144 lbs of youthful enthusiasm. In that first year there, I visited with the church families who evidently thought I was too thin. Every time I visited, even for a short time, they fed me toast with butter and jam and cheese.
Well, at the end of that first year, I was a hefty 184 lbs of youthful enthusiasm. When reality finally got my attention, I thought, “no problem, I can get rid of these pounds easily.” My plan was simple: just stop eating so much so many times a day. Well, that lasted until my next scheduled visitation.
It got so I was afraid of the scales. They seem to register only increases, never decreases. Something was definitely wrong with the picture. In addition, I spent most of my time sitting: study and preparation at the office, driving the car, visitation with families, etc.
I discovered this was a common, human problem. We need food, yet in most cultures, we over-eat regularly. And when we compare this food-with-fellowship problem to other more serious ones — alcoholism, etc — it diminishes in importance. Yet, the principle of human struggle is the same.
So, being a pastor, I discovered another power source: turn it over to God. As Jesus told his disciples, “This demon is defeated only through prayer and fasting.” And this program isn’t any easier, but unlike a lot of diets, it gets long-term results . . . spiritual as well as physical. Two benefits for the price of one!
I thought weight issues were all about me. Yet, I discovered there is more to food than nutrition. I discovered that less is more . . . less bread and more Word of God. Now scales don’t intimidate me at all.
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and love. Empower us with a hunger and thirst for your Word that we might defeat every temptation in this new year. I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous in the battle,