Confessions Of A Divided Heart.

[This is a guest post from Jerrilyn. She's been a huge part of this community for a long time and if you've ever commented, odds are she's prayed for you. Honored to share her thoughts. Dive in and dialogue folks]

I recently saw a cartoon clipping that had a woman and her four children facing a second woman. The caption read, “How do you divide your love between four children? She answered, “I don’t divide, I multiply.”

Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

I’m sharing my heart with you today, in hopes that it may encourage you wherever you’re at.

I am one of the sixty-four percent or one in three people of our population, in America, who is either overweight or obese...

I know obesity is everywhere, but as the church perhaps there is something more we can do to show we trust in God and NOT so much in food.

Here is my list of reasons why it’s okay:

1.Hormones- Hypothyroidism
2.Genetics- It runs in our family
3.Low metabolism
4.You can be overweight and still be healthy
5.God created people all shapes and sizes and He loves them all.

Here is my list of reasons why it’s NOT okay:

1. I have a divided heart.
I’m in a certain stage of my life (okay menopause) that causes me to have mood swings. When I can’t control my moods I control what I eat instead. Honestly I choose food for all my moods. Even when I celebrate, the first thing I think of is what kind of food we should get.

2. I have a tendency to make food the Lord of my life.
At different times in my life I’ve chosen food over prayer to heal, comfort, calm or soothe.

3. Just too lazy.
Like my husband says, “I’d like to loose weight, but I like food, what can I do?”

4. Fear.
Fear of failure to loose weight, or fear of not feeling satisfied.

Dear God,
I love you. I want you to be the Lord over my WHOLE life. Thank you for bringing light to this sin through one of Sammy's blog posts.

Help me Lord, I can’t do this on my own. Give me strength and a prayer every time I turn to food when I should be turning to you.

Thank you for the victory that you’ve given me in the last few weeks since I confessed my sin.

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name and my life will be one of worship.

Thank you for all the people that will be praying for me and with me, and help me be in mind to do the same for others who need it as well. ... and Lord... this time when I loose the weight... please help me not to find it again!

Love,
Me.

There are things that can divide our hearts (like food) and there are things that can multiply our hearts (like God’s love).

You've read my confession and my prayer for my own divided heart. What is yours?

Also, how do you think the church should respond to obesity in our society?