Serving One Master

A couple of days ago I posted about doing the Made to Crave bible study by Lysa TerKeurst while on this journey. The study consists of her book, a DVD and a guide to go along with the DVD.  If you aren't able to do the study you can just read the book.  Let me start off by saying that although her book is mainly about struggles with food, it also talks about struggles with other things as well.  So if you don’t read it because that isn't your "craving", you are missing out on a blessing.


In her book she talks about this being a spiritual journey, one that will draw you closer to God.  At first I didn’t get it because I knew that my initial motivation for  eating better and exercising was to be able to fit into my clothes.  But like I said the other day, it needs to be beyond that.  It is the deeper motivation that will keep me on this path.  It is that deeper motivation that got me onto my treadmill this morning.

I have also been reading a 21 Day Devotional Challenge guide that Lysa wrote based on her book, Made to Crave, for extra motivation. If you go to this link, you can download it for free.  I encourage you to get the book as well. The devotional is like an appetizer that gets you ready for the main course and is intended to be a companion to it.

The devotional is my go to while I am on the treadmill and it gives me an extra push when making my food choices.  Coincidentally the 21days of the devotional worked well with the 21days that my husband and I set aside to kick start our new way of life. 

The book is helping me find my “want to” as Lysa puts it.  I always "wanted" to eat better and exercise, but not enough to put forth the effort.  I always "wanted" to kick my sugar habit, but not enough to give it to God.  The bottom line is that I thought I wanted these things but I never truly did.  It was only talk.  It was me telling myself that those things would be good but not now.  And I didn't ask God for help because I wasn't ready to make that change.

That statement reminds me also of my hesitancy in having a committed relationship with Christ.  I felt as though I would miss out on something.  What I know now that I didn’t realize then was nothing compares to a relationship with Christ.  I have recognized that once again while on this journey.  No amount of food or sugar can give me as much satisfaction as my relationship with God.  There have been times in the past when I have chosen food over prayer because I wanted instant comfort.  I knew that food hindred my growth but I never realized how much.  When Lysa talked about it at first in the book it didn’t make sense.  But I see it more and more now. 

The bible tells us in the first part of Matthew 6:24 that, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other”.  I came to realize that I was being mastered by food and I didn’t want it to have that control over me any longer.

Maybe a struggle with food isn’t your thing but we all have something that we are controlled by. Maybe you are driven by success and being successful in and of itself is ok.  But when you allow it to take the place of your time with God or your time with your family it becomes an issue. Maybe there is someone in your life that you have devoted yourself to and this relationship causes you to make compromises that you never thought you would.  God never wants us to be in a place where our focus is more on something or someone else than it is on Him. 
What changes do you need to make in order to ensure that you serve only one master?


Sheryll