Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

Struggling with food addictions, weight problems and low self-esteem issues oftentimes make it hard to admit when we actually need help from anyone. Somehow the shame of our addiction brings with it the stigma of failure and weakness so to ask for help seems to only magnify those weaknesses and failures.

Or so the enemy would have us believe.

A couple of weeks ago in church the pastor was doing a sermon on discouragement. For anyone who’s ever struggled to lose weight, we know firsthand how discouraging the weight loss journey can be.

At the end of the sermon the pastor gave an invitation to anyone who was struggling with discouragement to stand and receive prayer. Even though I knew in my spirit that the message was practically custom tailored for me and my latest struggles with my weight loss and my daily pain level due to a knee injury – I froze in my seat. I could not make myself stand up to receive prayer.

I argued internally that I was simply too discouraged to even bother standing up, but God knew that I was standing up on the inside. For me the second I made a choice not to stand up and publically admit I was struggling with discouragement opened my eyes to an even bigger problem.

I was filled with pride.

I know that pride is one of the seven deadly sins – so that’s a biggie. In my head I’m trying to justify my actions because to me admitting I’m struggling feels more like I’m struggling with shame rather than pride.

Yes part of my problem is publically admitting that I’m weak and ashamed, but God helped me see that by refusing help I’m too full of pride to admit that I have a problem. I’m not even sure this makes sense to anyone else, but God explained it better to me than I’m explaining here.

There is no shame in asking for help but when we refuse help offered to us is it because we can’t get past our shame or is it because we think I can do this on my own? In either case, pride could be the root cause. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know pride is my issue.

If we’re feeling shame, we need to lay that down and get past it. If we think we can complete this journey without help from anyone, we’re kidding ourselves and we need to lay that down and get past it.

This journey is hard enough and I’m learning that it’s okay to ask for help. Now that I’ve recognized my pride issue, I’m praying God will help me to overcome it and keep working on getting all this junk out of me.

Man oh man, becoming a responsible, respectable human being is sure a lot of work.

God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through. ~Author Unknown

18 First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. Proverbs 16:18 (The Message Bible)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I thank you that you are merciful when you point out my sins. May I overcome whatever shame I continue to carry inside me. Forgive me for this need I have to keep my problems to myself, never admitting my weaknesses and my faults. Please be patient with me as I learn to trust others and reach out for an occasional hand to hold or someone to lift me up when I am down. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.