I’m a Sugar Monster

If sugar were illegal I’d be sentenced to life in prison. I wish I could say that I actually love sugar, but I don’t. In reality I’ve finally accepted that I’m addicted to this stuff. I can’t think of a day when I’ve intentionally gone without some source of manmade sugar.

Sugary products are the first thing I consume when I wake up and the last thing in my mouth before I head to bed. There was a time when I was eating at least one bag of jelly beans or gummy bears per day.  I went so far as to have a bag on my nightstand; I’d wake up in the middle of the night and without fail I’d roll over, grab a handful of candy and go back to sleep.

I began working as an Addictions Worker part-time and was continuously amazed at the grip addictions had over the lives of those with substance abuse problems. I had to admit that my inability to go without my daily sugar fix was no different than those who drank alcohol and consumed illegal drugs every day. I was just as much of an addict as they were, the only difference is that my addiction is legal and there’s isn’t. I caution Christians; don’t allow the plank in your eye to blind you from seeing any addictions or dependencies of your own.

I once tried a sugar detox program; however, I only lasted three days. Irritability, anxiety, headaches, and fatigue set in. I’m a sugar monster who can only be tamed with sugar. As I started this weight loss and fitness journey I realized that I must surrender my love of man made sweets to God. Anything in our lives that is an addiction places a barrier between our self and God. He wants nothing on this earth to have control over our life. Even healthy habits can become an obsession and an addiction.

Our quest to be physically fit and eat healthy is a godly pursuit, but we are human and there is always the risk that our endeavours can become spiritually unhealthy. Do you skip church to go for Sunday morning runs, do you spend more time at the gym than you do with your spouse, friends or family; do you think about food and calories all day long? These are only small examples of ways our healthy pursuits can become problems.

If your physical fitness is a means for feeding an aching spirit, turn to God. Jesus tells us that our Father is there for us.

Ask Him: if we ask, He will give us an answer as to why we are hurting.

Seek Him: God always knows where we are, He never loses sight of us. We are the ones who have to seek Him. We’ve been seeking other worthy, yet mundane pursuits, when instead; we should have been seeking God to heal our hurts.

Knock: You know where He is, let Him know that you’re there (knocking). He will always invite you in; He will never close the door on you. The opened door is God saying, “Come on in! Have a seat and let’s talk.”

 

Application:

We certainly don’t have to give up our healthy goals and habits, but be sure to do some self-reflection and consider if or how your health and fitness beliefs are affecting your Christian walk. Here are some questions to get you started:

• Do I believe that I will not be beautiful/good looking until I meet my goal weight/increase muscle mass?
• Am I constantly thinking about my fitness and diet regime?
• Is my diet so restrictive that it interferes with my social life and causes tension in my family household?
• Do I judge others who don’t follow the same dietary plan as myself (e.g. Paleo, Raw Food, Vegetarian, Meat Lover, Gluten Free, etc.)?
• Do I believe that losing weight will solve all my problems?
• Do I use exercise (Running, cycling, strength training) as a way to forget about and avoid problems? How can these activities be used as an aide to healing rather than an avoidance or hindrance to healing?

Application 2:

Sit in silence for 1 minute or more and let God’s Spirit open your mind to receiving his revelation. The answer might not come to you today, but continue to Ask, Seek, and Knock and God will fulfill his promise to produce healing in your life.

Blessings!