Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

When you’ve spent nearly your entire life satisfying your cravings for sugar, it goes without saying when you decide to eliminate that addictive substance from your body, there’s going to be a certain amount of resistance. It’s been 11 days since I said good-bye to sugar and I’m not feeling particularly free from my addiction just yet. I’ve been feeding my emotions with sugar in all of its various forms for decades, so it’s unrealistic to expect that my taste and desire for it will magically diminish in a mere 11 days.

I’ve been told it takes 12-14 days before your body adjusts and you start feeling somewhat “human” again. I must confess there are some underlying animal instincts very much alive and unhappy inside of me now that my addiction to sugar is being addressed. Experts agree it is “normal” to feel a degree of discomfort as your body adjusts to the lack of sugar. One can expect some unpleasant physiological symptoms resulting from the withdrawal of sugar – even when there is no nutritional value in sugar to begin with.

Withdrawing from sugar is a very real physical malady which can affect everyone differently. I’ve been experiencing headaches and irritability as a result of my withdrawal as well as anxiety and depression. My purpose for eliminating sugar from my diet began with my sacrifice for the 40-day period of lent.

The last 11 days has seen me reaching out to Christ on a deeper level than ever before. I’ve suddenly realized how deep my addiction to sugar truly is and quite honestly if I don’t reach out and cling to God, I can promise I’ll never survive the next 29 days without sugar. I’m thinking there must be some really important lesson God is going to teach me throughout this journey, why else would I be suffering so?

For encouragement, I recently read a story of King David in 1 Chronicles 21. In this chapter, David has committed a great sin against God by having a census taken of all the Israelites. God was displeased with him and offered David three punishments to make restitution – none of which were pleasant. In the end, the option David chose resulted in the immediate death of 70,000 people. Wanting to offer a burnt offering in sacrifice for his sin, David sought to purchase property where he could offer his sacrifice. The owner of the property refused payment wanting to give the property to David. David refused saying that he wouldn’t give a sacrifice to the Lord that cost him nothing.

I know sacrificing my sugar addiction in no way compares to what Christ sacrificed for me on Calvary. But rather than sacrifice something that would cost me little – a favorite television show, biting my nails or diet soda, giving up a major addiction to something I’ve depended on for emotional fulfillment is proving to indeed be a huge sacrifice for me. One that I pray will ultimately result not only in my freedom and release from that addiction, but a closer walk with my Lord.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. ~ Author Unknown

24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” 1 Chronicles 21:24 (NIV)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I offer my sacrifice of sugar to you in the hopes to draw closer to you. I pray as you deliver me from this addiction, I can replace my love of sugar for a closer relationship with you. Please help me to cope with the uncomfortable physiological symptoms I’m feeling, and I pray they will serve as a reminder to me of what you sacrificed for me. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Archives for: March 2010, 01

03/01/10

04:17:18 pm The Sugar Shocking Blues