I've really struggled these past 2 months since I've been home in "walking out" what I've learned at Mercy. But I know that God is being patient with me, so I need to learn to be patient with myself. My body and mind are going through a lot, and I need to just learn to rely on Him to get me through. In the midst of the chaos, I need to keep in mind that as long as I am doing what I need to do in order to be healthy and to honor God, then He will take care of the rest!
So I want to make a list of what it means to honor God with my body. It can be hard to discern what the world says I should do for/to my body, and what God actually wants me to do. I am sure I will need to work on this list later on down the road, but I figured I would at least brainstorm while I had the chance, and edit this later once I have some time to really pray about this issue.
Honoring God with my body means...
1. Eating when I am hungry and stopping when I am satisfied
2. Making healthy choices the best I can with the resources available
3. Being in tune with my body to know what I need and want
4. Asking myself whether I am glorifying God by eating what I am eating
5. Making sure I am eating for nourishment rather than personal pleasure or emotional comfort (while I believe that food is meant to be enjoyable, that is not the sole purpose of food!)
6. Exercising in a way that feels good to my body, and not being legalistic with scheduling, intensity, or duration.
7. Having balance: not having to be "perfect" with my eating, but also not going overboard and living without "holy" restraint
8. Seeking guidance from God what to eat rather than letting myself being influenced by my own cravings or what the world tells me to eat through advertisements, health/medical advice, etc.
9. Not punishing myself through restriction in any way, but having "holy" and "healthy" restraint for the purposes of glorifying Him
10. No "body-bashing". God created my body the way He intended it to be, and He lives in it. No point in dissin' His crib or masterpeice! haha.
11. Being smart with my money; not just buying something to eat or drink just because the money is there.
12. Not just eating food because it is there; not using it to pass time or out of fear that "no one else will eat it"
13. Making wholesome choices when I financially can, and not basing what I eat based on it's caloric content
This is all I can come up with for now. Hope to update it and edit it as I pray about this issue and grow in my recovery and walk with Him :)
