Did you know that emotional eating has a theme song?
The 70s song title, "Hooked on a Feeling" popped into my head the morning after a Live Zoom meeting I had with our Take Back Your Temple program members recently.
Our topic was "Taking Control of Temptation." Emotional eating is often not about food, but the feeling behind the food.
On that subject, we discussed James 1:12-15:
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when its full-grown, brings forth death."
This scripture tells us that the enemy uses our heart desires to entice us. Synonyms for the word "entice" are:
- Lure
- Bait
- Decoy
- Betray
Consider fishing.
A skilled fisherman is not going to use any old lure to catch the fish. Rather, he is going to use a lure that resembles something he knows the fish likes!
The lure attracts the fish. The lure promises pleasure, but delivers death.
What is the feeling the enemy is using to hook you concerning emotional eating?
Do your temptations promise a feeling of:
- Joy
- Peace
- Love
- Specialness
- Belonging
Wikipedia has this intriguing description of why fish behave the way they do in the presence of lures:
Why a fish bites a baited hook or lure involves several factors related to the sensory physiology, behaviour, feeding ecology, and biology of the fish as well as the environment and characteristics of the bait/hook/lure. There is an intricate link between various fishing techniques and knowledge about the fish and their behaviour including migration, foraging and habitat. The effective use of fishing techniques often depends on this additional knowledge."
The enemy is a great fisherman. He studies our repeated behavior to discern which lure to use in reeling us in.
Genesis 3:1 describes the enemy as ''cunning." The definition of cunning is, "having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion."
Lures are effective because, up until the moment of capture, the fish believes the lure will deliver on its promise of a tasty meal.
Unfortunately, the hook within the lure captures the fish and costs her life.
Now, while a fish may be at the mercy of her instincts in an attractive lure's presence, as believers in Jesus, we are not.
Because we have mind of Christ; we can ask the Lord to help us recognize lures in our lives.
The Lord makes us a promise concerning temptation in 1 Corinthians 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
The Lord makes us a way of escape from every temptation. Ask Him today:
- What is the lure the enemy is using to entrap me?
Reflect on the Lord's love for you and the love you have for Him to expose the desires of your heart.
Each day in prayer, tell the Lord in prayer that want Him as the desire of your heart, the center of your affections.
Your heart desire for a stronger relationship with God is one that you prioritize above all others because, unlike the enemy, the Lord keeps His promises!
The Lord delivers life in abundance. So today choose life, not the lure:
- Joy: "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11)."
- Peace: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6)."
- Love: "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live (Deuteronomy 30:6)."
- Specialness: "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6)."
- Belonging: “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God (Ezekiel 16:8)."