Finding our Want To - Made to Crave Session One

I'm so excited about this new study on the book, Made to Crave, by Lysa Terkeurst. Let me just say, Lysa had me at this line from her intro:

It's not the "how to" I'm missing. It's the "want to"...really wanting to make changes and deciding that the results of those changes are worth the sacrifice.

Preach it, sister!

That is me. I get the how to. I know what I need to do to lose weight, to be more healthy. But, it's the want to I'm lacking. There are times when I can be the queen of the "I don't wanna's". I don't wanna do the housework, balance the checkbook, go to work, cook dinner, do the laundry, do the dishes. I don't wanna! I know...pathetic, right? Don't worry...God has been working on me...changing my "I don't wanna" to "I get to". The attitude goes for eating right, too. Sure, there are times when I feel inspired to get healthy...to let go and earnestly pray, resisting the temptation to fulfill my desire in the moment for satisfaction through yummy food. But, in the moment...at the end of a long work day, when I feel stressed and reach for the cupboard to sooth that tense moment away....in the lunchroom, when someone has brought apple fritters and M&M's, to celebrate a special occasion (everything's better with indulgent treats, right?)

I could relate to so much that Lysa said in the introduction and in chapter one....too much for this post. When she spoke of putting it off to another time. When she mentioned needing comfort in this season of life....oh, I can't tell you how many times I said that during the season of grief after my mom passed away. Thinking of that really disappoints me...and revealing that truth to you is even harder. I want to say that I grieved perfectly...in a totally healthy way...giving it all to the Lord, finding comfort in His arms the entire way. I did...much of the time. But, some of the time, I let myself indulge in foods that were unhealthy...making an excuse that it was just too hard to let go of the comfort of indulging now and then during this difficult season. God freed me from this bondage of relying on food once, several years ago. And, yet, during that season of grief, I returned to the unhealthy cycle...like a dog returning to his vomit (I know...gross analogy, but biblical. And, truthfully...it's a gross thing to return to bondage once the Lord has freed us from sin's grip.)

Lysa also writes: It's easier to make excuses than to make changes.

So true...and, frankly, I'm tired of mine. It's time to Cowboy up. Put our big girl pants on. Get over it. Man up. Just do it. No more excuses.

You know I love grace...but truth is important too. And, the truth is that excuses do us no good. We were created with a craving in our souls. A craving that only God can fill. Nothing else will ever bring us true and lasting satisfaction.

This thought pierced me: I imagine Jesus looked straight into this young man's soul and said, "I want you to give up the one thing you crave more than me. Then, come follow me."

Lysa also spoke these powerful words based on Mark 8:34:

With Jesus, if we want to gain, we must give up.
If we want to be filled, we must deny ourselves.
If we want to truly get close to God, we'll have to distance ourselves from other things.
If we want to conquer our cravings, we'll have to redirect them to God.

As we move on to chapter one, I loved the wisdom that we "crave what we eat". I have found this to be so true. The less I eat junk, the less I crave it. The more healthy foods I eat, the more I crave. We were created to crave. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just what we do to satisfy those cravings that gets us off track. Interesting that Satan used food to bring down Eve...and subsequently the entire human race. No accident, I'm sure. He appealed to her craving...the lust of her eyes...and the boasting, or desire for significance. Interesting. Her eyes were looking at the object of her desire, rather than focusing on the Lord. Truth is the most powerful weapon in fighting deception and desires or cravings for the wrong things.

The author shared some questions at the end of the chapter. I'll answer a couple. Feel free to share your thoughts and answer whichever questions you wish in the comments or in the Blog Frog discussion.

She asked which of the three temptations we struggle with the most: cravings, lust of the eyes, or boasting. While I'm sure I've fallen in all three areas, craving is probably the most frequent battle for me. In the moment of temptation...when I'm hungry, overwhelmed, just craving something yummy, I will reach for the bag of Doritos, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, the Pepsi...indulging that craving, satisfying it on my own, rather than denying it and turning to Him. At least I have done that in the past. He is working in a different way to free me from that pattern.

It feels like I'm telling a deep, dark secret that shows me in a less than appealing light here...not so easy for a girl who would always like to present her picture in the best light. Not so appealing, picturing me reaching for the bag of Doritos in a frenzy of stress at the end of the work day, while a mess piles around me, clamoring for my attention. It's kind of grossing me out to even admit it. But, the humble and at times humiliating truth is that I'm far from perfect. I'm flawed and broken. It's why I needed a Savior.

Lysa mentions using scripture to battle deception and temptation. I have found this to be a very powerful and effective weapon in resisting the desire to fulfill cravings in an unhealthy way. Mine is often food, but some of you may battle other temptations. Whatever your struggle, scripture is an effective tool in overcoming that moment of temptation. During the season of victory, I used scripture often to strengthen my resolve in weak moments...scripture and prayer.

One of my favorites:

Luke 4:4 (New King James Version)

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
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Please share how the Intro. and Chapter One of this study spoke to your heart in the comments and/or in the Blog Frog Discussion. Also, it would be nice if we could pray specifically for each other this week. So, feel free to share any prayer requests/struggles as well. And, if you're reading along...please keep these ladies in prayer.

My prayer request for this week: God has been working on my heart in many areas (and I've lost 7 pounds in the past 2 weeks in the process!), but often when there is one step forward, I have a set back, spiritual battle, etc. Please pray for me that I would keep my eyes focused on the Lord, cling to Him alone...look to His word for comfort in moments of weakness. Thanks so much...I look forward to praying for each of you as well.

Have a blessed week! Let's pray for each other that we not only find our "want to", but that we hold onto it once it's found! =)

*Updated Change: Tune in next Monday for Chapter Two, Three. and Four of Made to Crave. Since the chapters are rather short, we will be covering three chapters on next Monday's post, so read ahead and be ready to join in!

Another Update: Just wanted to add that my blog friend Kate, who is reading along, also blogged about her Made to Crave journey. Stop over and give her some encouragement. Her post is honest, encouraging...and just made me smile! If you are blogging about your journey, or would like to write a post each Monday, let me know and we can add a linky or mention your post here.