Not In My Own Strength
By Carolyn McCardell
I just recently I came off of a fast. Even though it was hard, I was successful in being disciplined within my fast. It was the very first fast that I had completed successfully. I fasted before, but usually just for a one day fast. When my church mentioned that this would be a 40 day fast, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but the glory be to God that I finished. As I stated before, the fast was hard, especially because I loved to eat. I vowed not go back to my old eating habits. Since I lost some weight during my fast, I decided to stick to the same food that I was eating while on my fast, which included lot fruits and vegetables, baked/grilled poultry, and fish, you know the healthy stuff. Unfortunately, it only took a couple of days before the old person rose up in me again. I started eating sweets, this was a big mistake once you tasted something that was good it's hard to say no to no matter if it was good for you are not. I started to gravitate back to the unhealthy stuff. The pounds were coming back. I was on the losing side of my struggle, I had no self-control, the things I craved, I ate. I thought to myself, “How did I get back to this place?” remembering my vow not to return to an unhealthy lifestyle. I completed the fast, so why was it so hard for me to continue on what I had already started? The bells went off and it occurred to me that the only reason I was successful in my fast was because I had to ask God for strength to resist the food that I shouldn’t be eating. It was through Him that I had strength to control what I was eating. When I took God out of the equation it became just another failed diet. In Psalm 105:4 (AMP) Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore. My lesson learned is that in my own strength I am unable to say no to the t hings that are not good for me.
The word "struggle" means to "fight against"; it means to "strive, put forth effort in order to not give in".
By Carolyn McCardell
I just recently I came off of a fast. Even though it was hard, I was successful in being disciplined within my fast. It was the very first fast that I had completed successfully. I fasted before, but usually just for a one day fast. When my church mentioned that this would be a 40 day fast, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but the glory be to God that I finished. As I stated before, the fast was hard, especially because I loved to eat. I vowed not go back to my old eating habits. Since I lost some weight during my fast, I decided to stick to the same food that I was eating while on my fast, which included lot fruits and vegetables, baked/grilled poultry, and fish, you know the healthy stuff. Unfortunately, it only took a couple of days before the old person rose up in me again. I started eating sweets, this was a big mistake once you tasted something that was good it's hard to say no to no matter if it was good for you are not. I started to gravitate back to the unhealthy stuff. The pounds were coming back. I was on the losing side of my struggle, I had no self-control, the things I craved, I ate. I thought to myself, “How did I get back to this place?” remembering my vow not to return to an unhealthy lifestyle. I completed the fast, so why was it so hard for me to continue on what I had already started? The bells went off and it occurred to me that the only reason I was successful in my fast was because I had to ask God for strength to resist the food that I shouldn’t be eating. It was through Him that I had strength to control what I was eating. When I took God out of the equation it became just another failed diet. In Psalm 105:4 (AMP) Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore. My lesson learned is that in my own strength I am unable to say no to the t hings that are not good for me.
The word "struggle" means to "fight against"; it means to "strive, put forth effort in order to not give in".
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