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God has been building this message into my life for the last three years. And I have felt very strongly during those years that I wasn’t to share this publicly. I felt God was saying that this wasn’t “formed” in me yet. I wasn’t ready.

And, truth be told, it’s still not formed in me fully. I don’t want to share with you as though I’ve arrived or got it down. God is still revealing truth to me and dealing with my heart every single day. And yet He’s called me now to share publicly.

I haven’t mastered this! I said to my sweet husband the other day. And you never will, he said kindly to encourage me to obey God and share these things with you.

Paul said what I’m trying to say best in Philippians 3:12-13.

I love the picture of this little girl in the above photo. She’s free–unbound by all the world’s messages that she isn’t enough–not pretty enough, skinny enough, fashionable enough, etc. etc. etc. Remember those days?

I think we can return to them. This is the freedom that God is calling all of us back into. And in the name of freedom, I’d like to share with you the 11 steps that best articulate my journey. In future posts, I’ll elaborate on each one.

For now, this provides the best overview possible.

Step 1–God loves me–fully and unconditionally. He is not mad at me. He treasures me.

Step 2–God provides for me. I can trust God to meet all my needs.

Step 3–I must understand that this is a spiritual battle.

Step 4—Gluttony (eating more than I need) is sin and has consequences. Gluttony is unrighteousness that separates me from God.

Step 5–The goal is not weight loss. The goal is daily walking in the Spirit.

Step 6—Dieting is idolatry. The world has a very “acceptable” form of idolatry with a food/weight obsession.

Step 7–My body will tell me when to eat. Listen to my hunger. If I eat when I’m not physically hungry, then I’m hungering for something other than nourishment.

Step 8–Stop eating when I’m comfortably satisfied.

Step 9—Take it one day at a time.

Step 10—Diets will NEVER work from a biblical perspective.

Step 11–My heart can never be set on a weight goal; that becomes idolatry. My heart must be set on God.

I’m sure in God’s goodness that He will continue to reveal more steps. For now, I’ve found the hope of running free like a young child–unbound and undistracted from the goal of knowing God better.

It’s exciting! And I hope you sense that God has great hope for all of us!

Let us press on!