Death of Cake
My goals for 2019 were:
Eat better
Drink more water
Get more exercise
I’m a pretty good goal getter, but this has been hard.
I started out the year doing a 21 day fast of no sugar and felt awesome!
So awesome, I kept going another 60 days. Then my son had his 11th birthday and you know how that goes! I allowed myself a small piece of cake. Even though I had been saying for weeks , “I just know if I allow myself to eat that stuff again, it will eat me alive,” …and I was right!
Last Monday was 43 days since I ate that first tiny slice of cake. And on Monday I ate 3 whole pieces of cake while watching a series on Netflix. ( I can’t believe I’m actually confessing this!). My bad!
So, what do you do when your goals go to pot and you have to start all over?
Let me give you three quick thoughts:
Admit you have a problem and ask for help
Monday night I went to bed and I said, “Lord, I’m usually really good at this goal stuff. I can’t do this without your power and strength. I need you Lord to take control of my will and bend it toward yours.”
Some of you may be thinking “who cares!
If you want to eat three pieces then eat three pieces!”
That’s the problem, I didn’t want to eat them.
I was compelled to do it. It was a fierce, fervor of overt desire to eat it. Listen, my word for the year is DELIGHT. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. So, I understand that this desire of my heart, that is cake, did not come from a delighting in the Lord. It was coming from delighting in Netflix. My snack life surrounds the act of binge watching TV.
Listen for the help you asked for
Tuesday, I woke up and had the thought to make a protein shake for breakfast and take some yogurt with bananas and strawberries with me to work.
When the Lord gives you tips, you have to act on them. According to Mel Robbins, “we have 5 seconds to act on a thought, instinct, intuition, or prompting before it is lost. The 5 second rule is a tool for hyper-intentionality, action, and identifying moments in your life where there is tremendous opportunity and joy.”
I had the opportunity to drive my day a certain way and end the day feeling the joy of accomplishing what I set out to do.
Thank God for every step of victory
Today is Wednesday! Yesterday I drank the recommended amount of water, I ate food that at the end of the day I didn’t go to bed feeling awful, and I even got a walk in. Today I am so thankful.
Why did I ever think that I could do this without God?
Obviously, I’m crazy and think something awesome about myself, but to be totally honest, all three of these areas I have failed in for 20 years. I’m done failing.
I praise God for His power and strength. I thank Him for the Holy Spirit who speaks, leads, directs, corrects and convicts. I need it!
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”.
I don’t know how to overcome unless I lean on the victory Jesus has already provided for me. This is my declaration: I lean on the Lord to help me overcome and rise above any desire that my body craves that is not rooted and grounded in Christ.
Today I declare the death of cake in my life! You shall not overtake me! I trust you’ll do the same!
Living On Purpose
Starla Smith
PS: You can read more of Starla’s blogs at https://sunday2monday.blog/
Starla Smith is the NextGen Pastor of Springs of Life Church, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is a wife, and mother of two. She loves writing, worship, coffee dates with friends, and she is passionate about learning and sharing life’s everyday lessons.