But let me tell you about the "burn" that is even harder for me to push through. The burn of temptation.
It's the burn of wanting a piece of fudge so bad I could bite my thumb off. It's the burn of seeing a Taco Bueno and literally feeling the force of gravity pulling my car into the drive thru. It's the burn of wanting to eat the 3 nuggets my kid left on his plate. It's the burn of wanting to eat a piece of enriched flour, chewy white bread (you know the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth) with a monstrous slather of peanut butter at 11:30 at night.
You want to talk about burn? THAT'S what I call burn.
But it just dawned on me that I could apply the same principle regarding "exercise burn" to "temptation burn." Pushing through the burn of temptation and allowing the the moment to pass by...that is when my MIND changes the most.
When I am able to step outside of myself and see the burn for what it really is--an opportunity for personal growth--then I can push through. By doing this I prove to myself that even though it hurts like heck, I CAN do it.
Each time I do it, it makes the next temptation burn a little less. And a little less. And I suspect that pretty soon I may not even notice the burn.
Just as a trainer encourages the athlete to push through the burn, so shall He encourage me:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
I have yet to resist a food temptation and regret it. TRUST that you will be okay. Next time you are feeling the temptation burn, remember that your mind is being transformed and that is awesome.
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13 comments:
Great post Keelie!!
I felt that burn last night big time. We had hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookies going on. I had one. I wanted 12!! I'm so glad that I stuck with one and woke up this morning without the binge hangover.
great post!
right now i'm craving something sweet and FIGHTING the urge to go to our breakroom and have a slice of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. uuuugggghhhh.
You are so right! I noticed this actually today when I was grocery shopping during lunch (but I noticed it in a different way) - I REALLY REALLY wanted my all-time-favorite hot fries. I mean really. Some kind of snack. Instead, I got salad. But while I was fighting it, for the first time I looked to God and asked Him to keep me from getting and eating something I know I will probably eat pretty much in 1 or 2 sittings and then very much regret it immediately after. The temptation passed and I had soup and salad for lunch. And no regrets. It's a nice feeling. :) I have a hard time remembering that God cares about helping me take care of my body with what I buy ... so, I'm trying to work on that. Great encouragement, Keelie! :)
This is exactly what I am struggling with right now. You are right...everytime I overcome a temptation, I feel stronger and stronger. The verses could not have come at a better time! Thank you for sharing them.
oh my gosh - I LOVE it. now to print out the bible verse and post it somewhere I can see it daily. thank you.
loved this!
This will always resonate in my mind. I will think of this tonight when I get tempted which happens every day. I have felt the burn many times. My bf owns and operates and authentic Italian Pizza restaurant and I have not had any pizza, cal-zones, Strombolis etc for 7 weeks now!! WOW WOW! It burns bad! Thanks Keelie!
Allison
This is an awesome post Keelie. Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. Next time I'm cranky, wanting a snack at 10:00pm and my husband asks me "what's wrong?".... I'll say "I'm feeling the burn,baby. Feelin' the burn!" :)
I can't tell you how much I needed this today, girlie. Thank you SO much for allowing us to be a part of your journey, and to be inspired in the process. Much MUCH love :O)
Melissa
Keelie, THAT is a brilliant analogy. i simply love it. you energy gives me so much motivation to push, you don't even know.
and that verse is my favorite! i read it every night in my fitness journal. is it me or is there NOTHING ON THIS EARTH that the bible doesn't address. love love love.
So profound! For me this is so true for exercise, eating, and other areas as well... the urge to lose patience with my kids, etc.
Love it!
Great food for thought (sorry, bad pun) - thanks for sharing!
Hi Keelie! I'm new to your blog - I found you through the Healthy You Challenge site. I, too, have 100 pounds to lose - so far I've lost 45. Your temptation verses are great motivation. One of the things I do when I'm tempted is to ask myself which do I want more the boston creme donut (my drug of choice) or to be healthy and skinny? I have a huge list of reasons I want to lose weight: http://isladeangela.wordpress.com/joyful-lists/ so when I'm tempted to eat junk I'll also concentrate on one of them and really imagine how it will feel to meet the goal and how it will feel to go through the rest of my life NOT meeting the goal. Lastly, I've also started reading the book "The End of Overeating" - it chronicles all the ways our body gets addicted to food, why we obsess over it, why the pull towards certain foods is soooo strong, it's really interesting. Well, it's nice to "meet" you - stop by my blog if you get thenchance. I've added you to my RSS feed and will stop by again! :) ~ Angie
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