What's Inside Your Cup?
Did you know Jesus handed out weight loss tips? Well, something like that.
Did you know Jesus handed out weight loss tips? Well, something like that. As we head into a weekend of remembering Jesus’ death on the cross and his subsequent rising from the dead, I’m reminded of one of his quotes that gives me great peace and direction when it comes to my overeating.
“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean,” (Jesus, quoted in Matthew 23:26). How many of us try to lose weight by focusing on the outside of the cup, or the “externals”? Many diet plans keep us focused on the calories in our food, our appearance in the mirror or the number on the scale. All of these things are “the outside of the cup” and Jesus’ words give us a clue as to why focusing on the exterior things won’t permanently solve our eating problem. Jesus essentially said, “You have to look on the inside to fix the outside”.
On the inside, we look at the “why” behind our overeating. The more we have understanding and ask God to help us with the cause, we can experience true freedom from overeating.
“When we want to eat but don’t feel physically hungry, it might be helpful to explore those two questions. ‘What am I trying to escape, and why am I trying to escape it?’”
Do you know why you overeat? Do you know why you eat when you don’t have physical hunger? A brave friend of mine has begun treatment for her alcohol addiction and she recently shared a question that she has learned through her rehab program. When she is tempted to drink, she asks herself, “What am I trying to escape?” and “Why am I trying to escape it?” We can apply the same question to our overeating. When we want to eat but don’t feel physically hungry, it might be helpful to explore those two questions. “What am I trying to escape and why am I trying to escape it?”
Of course, you need a plan for what to do with the answers, lest you become stuck and depressed. You know where I’m going to direct you! If you can name what you’re trying to escape and why, take some time to pray about this through writing in a journal, taking a walk in silence or even just by sitting alone in a quiet place and telling yourself you are not getting up for five minutes. God loves to meet us in our stillness!
If you can’t think of what you are trying to escape by overeating (or why you want to escape it), ask God to give you insight through the Holy Spirit. He promises to speak to us in Jeremiah 33:3 and in John 16:13! God loves you and wants to set you free from the bondage of overeating. He will give you comfort as you courageously look at the reasons you want to escape to food.
This Holy Week, my prayer for you is that God will give you more insight into what’s “in your cup” and more of His presence so that you will desire less of the food.