Empowered versus Determined

Last week, I didn't feel empowered until the very end of the week.  But when I saw that this week's word was determined, I saw an interesting connection.

I have read a lot of comments from this study on blogs and on Facebook.  Some of you don't think you can take this journey and are somewhat discouraged.  All last week I struggled with the question of whether or not I really wanted to put in the work to put God above my cravings for food.  Because of that, I didn't feel empowered.  

Here's what the dictionary says:

Empowered:  to give power or authority to; 

So basically last week' s word lets us know that any of us who are living in defeat because we are overweight have a choice as to whether we want to continue living in defeat or if we want God to help us break that cycle.  Being empowered means we have a choice.  There is hope for us.  I suspect to a lot of us, knowing we aren't destined to stay in the condition we are in was very good news.

I was so caught up in making the decision that I didn't fully appreciate the hope God was offering.  I did well on my eating and started to enjoy feeling better because of it.  I became more aware of how I was a slave to food.  I think some of you struggle because you have so much weight to lose that it looks daunting.  For me, I was rationalizing that I'm not that big, so I don't really need this.  But I do need this because I have been gaining weight and turning to food instead of to God.  I needed to stop that cycle.  I could choose to face my problem now or wait until it would become even harder to lose. 

I knew I needed to get off the fence, but it was hard.  These verses kept coming to mind:

James 1 And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.

Sometime near the end of the week, I made the commitment... I'm REALLY in now!  I want to please God with my eating.  I want His help and I'm willing to set goals, get friends to hold me accountable, flee from temptation, pray for help prior to situations, make a plan, etc.  I don't have secret doubts and I don't have inward reservations  and I don't want to be like a wave.  I don't want to have divided loyalty or instability.

So determination for me represents my decision to take advantage of God's empowering me to put Him in first place in my life above food.