The Flesh Wants To Do Crazy Things!

Eat and Stay Thin: Simple, Spiritual, Satisfaction Weight Control
by Joyce Meyer

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And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden.

GENESIS 2:16

Genesis 2:16 was one of the first Scriptures God used to bring about a major change in my life when I first began to read and study His Word. Applying that Scripture brought victory in an area I had struggled with since childhood - controlling my weight.

When the Lord told the man, …You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, He was saying, “You may freely eat of everything I have put here for you to eat.” In other words, we are free to eat!

Once when I was teaching this subject, I asked the congregation to repeat after me, “I am free to eat!” It was amazing but not surprising to see the fear that crossed many of their faces. So many people who struggle with their weight have a fear of food because in the past it has mastered them instead of them mastering it.

They think, “Free to eat? What if I get fat?”

One thing that keeps people from reaching or maintaining a weight that is right for them is fear. They are in bondage to fear without realizing it - fear of “being fat” and fear of food! When they are afraid that anything they put in their mouths carries the potential for “making them fat,” they would much rather follow the list of rules and regulations in a diet than have liberty. In following the strict rules of a diet, they feel secure they will be able to control their weight. But usually the opposite happens. Their diet plans often end in disappointment, failure and another weight gain because they are trying to be their own “keeper.” They are trying to take care of themselves in their own strength rather than drawing on the Lord's strength.

Psalm 121:5 says, The Lord is your keeper… His plans for us work! The way to become free from living in bondage to food and being enslaved to diets is to start learning how to genuinely follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will always lead you into victory and freedom, not into gaining weight. On God's “Diet Plan” you eat what you want without gaining weight!

One of Satan's main tools is deceit. People who clearly hear and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in other areas don't realize they are in bondage to fear in the area of controlling their weight. Fear keeps them from stepping out in faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to experience victory in this area. Without realizing it, they actually believe that controlling their weight is one area in which following the leading of the Holy Spirit and drawing on His power don't work!

GODLY RESTRAINTS

When you are overweight, you almost constantly think about your weight. Little thoughts about it almost seem to hang onto your head, following you around everywhere you go, constantly on your mind. Hearing what God is trying to guide you to do when you are constantly thinking about your weight is very difficult!

Being overweight, depending on the severity of it, dictates to you in many instances what you can wear, where you can go, what kind of chair you can sit in, car you can drive, sports you can play or other activities in which you can participate. When your activities are restricted because of your weight, you can develop all kinds of problems in your personality. You can miss developing deep relationships with people, and you can block what God is trying to communicate with you by putting up all kinds of defense mechanisms. God does not want His children to live below the level He has planned. He wants to lift you to heights you never thought possible!

As we have seen, Genesis 2:16 tells us, …You may freely eat of every tree of the garden. Genesis 2:17 reveals what freely eat means.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

To be free does not mean to live without restraint or in excess.

In God's terms, freedom does not mean the liberty to give in to the desires of the flesh. It means the liberty to be led by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:12-14.)

From what we are told in the Bible, the Garden of Eden was a very beautiful, bountiful place. It was filled with trees that produced all kinds of fruits. I am quite sure that since they were natural, they were much more tasty than anything we have today. Because there was no corruption in the earth, everything that came from it was full of wonderful vitamins and nutrients. So everything was much more satisfying than it is now.

Genesis 1:31 tells us, And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely… I believe the fruits from the trees in the garden were extremely good-looking. Their very appearance made them appealing to the eye.

Into this garden, God placed the man and woman He had created, telling them, “You may freely eat of the fruit of any of these trees.” So when Adam and Eve got hungry, they just reached up and picked something and ate it. But I don't believe for a moment that they ever overate, because they were led by the Spirit of God.

They ate when they got hungry. They quit eating when they were comfortable. Between times they probably never thought of food; it was never on their minds.

That is the way God has always intended. Food was there for the taking when it was needed, but it was not the constant focus or ultimate goal of life as it so often is today.

Copyright © 1999 by Joyce Meyer

About the Author

JOYCE MEYER has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than fifty inspirational books, including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences.