You Got the Power

Back when I was 240 pounds, one of my favorite binge foods was Pepperidge Farm coconut cake. I would often purchase one, totally intending to eat one slice and be content with that until the next day. But did that ever happen? No. Instead, I would eat a piece but then the cake would start calling me: "Kim, come eat me...come eat me." To shut up the voice, I would go eat another piece. Was the voice satisfied then? No. It compelled me to eat another. And I ate another. Then another. Finally out of complete abandonment I would get the remaining cake and a knife and a fork. I'd end up eating it all. And just like the night follows the day, the condemnation would start. The same voice that tempted me in the first place would say, "You knew better than that. Why did you buy that cake? You knew that was going to happen. It's only happened 10 million times before!" Physically, I'd feel bloated, sick, and nauseous. Full of regret. But you know what? I don't do that anymore. And here is why... I had to learn to become Spirit led. That was the source of my power to overcome an addiction that consumed my life for over 20 years. You see, I learned that the Spirit's voice is gentle, one of confidence and comfort, not condemnation. The Spirit's job is to guide you on the path of God's will for your life - and keep you there until you stand before God and he says, "Well done thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!" The Holy Spirit is your Helper. He has a one track mind - to do the will of God. In contrast, the enemy is two-faced: He will pretend to be your friend, lead you to yield to your weak flesh, and once you've obeyed him, turn around and condemn you for it. He wants you to remain caught up in that destructive cycle because if you are running on his treadmill, following his dead-end plan, you will NEVER fulfill God's plan for your life!

In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised his disciples: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So if you have received Jesus as your Savior, you have received power. Jesus himself received the spirit: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him" (Matthew 3:16). Jesus only began his ministry after this happened. That is how he could do the powerful works that he did! When you are led by the Spirit, you will make right decisions every time. Right decisions are ultimately the key to a successful life. The biggest clue that you are making a right decision is that even though your flesh may not like it, you will feel empowered and secure in your spirit. You will rejoice in the knowledge that you are following God's path and plan. However when you feel weak, condemned and discouraged by a decision you made - that is your clue that you are allowing the flesh to control you and not the Spirit. To learn to walk by the Spirit, start now to ask yourself three questions about every decision you face today, no matter how small it is:

1. "What should I do Holy Spirit?" The bible assures us that if anyone lacks wisdom, God will give it to her if she asks Him (James 1:5)
2. Whatever the answer, ask "Does this decision give me peace?" A hallmark of the Holy Spirit's guidance is peace and security. If you are still wavering or don't think with certainty: "This is what I should do" then continue to ask in prayer and wait before taking action. I believe if God knows your heart is to obey his will, then he will give you clear guidance.
3. Another way to tell if your decision is Holy Spirit led or just your flesh, then consider the outcome of both sides of the decision and ask yourself "Which decision makes me feel empowered?" If the decision will leave you feeling disempowered or lacking self control it is not of God since self control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Let go and ask the Spirit to take control once again.

Resist the urge to condemn yourself for your weaknesses. That is the voice of the enemy, not God:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

See your weakness as an opportunity for you to learn dependence on the Lord. Just like a baby learning to walk in the natural, it will take time to learn to walk by the Spirit. You may have a few stumbles, but eventually you will walk in faith and confidence. Get in the habit of being faithful in this regard in the small decisions you make every day. Health-related decisions are excellent training for this since you face many of these decisions every day, from what to eat, how much, and whether to exercise. Embrace these decisions rather than shrinking from them because if you can learn to follow the Spirit's guidance in small areas, then when you must make a big decision, listening and obeying him will be second nature! As you practice daily and stay committed to the process in both big and small decisions every day, you are guaranteed to fulfill God's plan for your life. And by the way, I still love Pepperidge Farm coconut cake. However, the Spirit leads me not to buy it unless others are around to share it. He knows my weakness and he gives me wisdom concerning it, which I gladly follow since I know it is for my ultimate good. And for that I rejoice! To encourage you in this area, listen to the words of this song called "The Very Same Power". The lyrics just make me want to shout for joy and I know it will do the same for you. Click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i6mo6c_HDU Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness, Kimberly Taylor Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple program P.S. When it comes to weight loss, do you often know what you should do but have a hard time doing it? I struggled with this issue on my own weight loss journey, but I discovered that “Nothing is different until you think differently.” The value of the Take Back Your Temple program is that you will learn how to think differently through using Biblical keys to overcome obstacles. You’ll discover how to win the Spiritual and mental battle that often causes us to become inconsistent and get off-track on our weight loss journey. Join a community of like-minded Christians losing weight and keep it off. Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program