{Made 2 Crave} Desperation breeds defeat

“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)

What tempts you?  Chocolate?  The 7 million calorie coffee drink?   The tub of Moose track ice cream in the freezer?  Guilty to all of the above.  While I have never been an emotional eater, I have had (and still do sometimes) have cravings for things that aren’t exactly on the “healthy” menu.  I do not believe in total deprivation of any certain thing because I think that tempts us to crave it so bad that we end up going back to it anyway.  So I do occasionally indulge in a piece of chocolate, or a bad-for-you coffee drink, or ice cream.  But I am no longer threatened by it.  I don’t need a giant piece of chocolate, an extra large coffee, or a huge bowl of ice cream.  A small serving is all I need to satisfy.  I think God knew that I couldn’t completely give up all those things, so He has helped me to be satisfied with a small amount.

I have, however, given up fast foods, such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys- fast food joints of that nature.  I gave those up because as I started to eat cleaner, those places made my stomach hurt.  And now, nearly 1 year later, I still haven’t eaten fast food.  I don’t crave it anymore, and I don’t miss it.

“Desperation breeds defeat.”  That is one of my favorite quotes from today’s devotional.  Last year, I was the girl that was so desperate to find the “perfect body” that I ended up living in a constant feeling of defeat.  But God pulled me out, ever so slowly.  He provided a way out through this blog.  He provided a way out by giving me a place to write about those feelings and experiences with that desperation.  And a year later, I feel like a new person.  He has helped me stand up and get out.  I still have hard days.  I still sometimes feel defeated, but I can get out from under it quickly, rather than dwelling there for what seems like forever.

When people ask me “what keeps you motivated?”

I simply reply, “I never want to go back to that constant feeling of emptiness and defeat.  It was such a terrible place to be.  I was miserable.  I never want to go back there.”

Desperation certainly does breed defeat.  But if you lean on Him to get you out of that awful place, He will provide a way out.  He will deliver you!!