We have a very special guest today talking about our Key for Week 3 of the “Living and Active” challenge: craving conquerors! I put this blog post up every year even though she wrote it a few years back. It’s just so good!
Candace Cameron Bure’s biography is filled with many many accomplishments, fame and excitement, but the awesome thing about her is that she goes much deeper than all of those. She is uniquely gifted and placed in this specific time to reach people for the Kingdom of God! I ask that you pray for her as she shines her light to those God has chosen to place her with.
(Here we are a few summers ago at a wedding doing our best at conquering our cravings. How do you think we did? ha!)
And now, let’s hear from Candace!
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Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:15-16
Who doesn’t crave something? For some, it might be love, shopping, encouraging words or even working out.
But for most of us, when we hear the word “crave” we think food. I know I’m not the only one to shares cravings for ice cream, In&Out Burger and chocolate anything all year long! Cravings are fine, as long as we fulfill those cravings in moderation and those that are beneficial to us.
I was sitting on my couch alone, Val and the kids had gone to bed and I thought about having a sweet treat while I watched T.V. into the wee hours of the night. I wasn’t really craving anything… but the thought of something yummy kept popping into my mind because I knew it was there. I kept contemplating… should I eat it? I don’t really desire it. Yeah, but it will taste so good once you bite into it. No, I shouldn’t. I don’t need it and I’m not even craving it! But it’s there! And… the battle of the mind began.
Have you ever felt yourself in a situation where you didn’t even want something, but the more you thought about it, the more you convinced yourself that you needed it? I do it a lot more than I ever imagined once I became aware of it. The more I think about something, especially food, the more I’ve talked myself into having something I never really desired in the first place. So how do I keep myself from going on this mental journey that always turns into a battle?
In my book, Reshaping It All, I talk about “the eye covenant” found in Job 31:, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” Using Job as a role model, many committed husbands, like mine, have decided to make the same covenant with their eyes. If a beautiful woman walks by, a man may take notice, but if he gazes at her for a while, his mind will travel to places it shouldn’t. So rather than looking her way, he turns his eyes and his attention to something else.
If this covenant helped Job overcome lust of the flesh, it can also work for us in regard to food! Instead of fantasizing over lunch, or spending the evening meditating on what dessert we’ll have, let us turn our thoughts and attention to something else. Use this covenant of the eyes to avoid the snack isles while shopping, passing up free samples instead of stopping to consider them, replying “No, thank you,” the next time someone passes a brownie your way and to stay focused on the car ahead of you when you drive by a fast food chain.
The truth is, we may desperately crave something that isn’t beneficial, but we must decide to choose our action; give in or stand strong! If you stick with it, your body will eventually agree with your choice and you will crave to continue to do so.
This brings me to the word of God. When I wake up and read the bible and read it again before bed, the more I crave being in God’s presence and hearing His word wash over me. The more I think about the way I feel after reading the bible and praying, I can’t imagine that I’ve EVER skip a day! Realize the power of cravings. If I can talk myself into craving food I didn’t even want in the first place, I can certainly set my mind on spending daily time with God to the point that I’ll crave it. And what more in life would you want to crave?! Isn’t renewing our mind, body, spirit and soul in the word of God, strengthening our relationship with Him, pouring out our hearts cries and holding onto His promises what it’s all about? ~ Candace
Yes! What a great word! Thank you Candace! Are you willing to stand with me for the rest of the challenge and conquer those bad cravings? Saying no gets easier each time—I promise!
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Now, I want to know. (Candace didn’t ask me to do this) Who has read her book, “Reshaping It All?” If you have and feel comfortable, could you share a little below in the comments what helped you out the most from reading it? (FYI: She has 2 other books, “Balancing it All“, and “Dancing Through Life“, where you can find out my involvement with her during “Dancing With The Stars”!)
Feel free to share personal stories or quotes from the book itself! Also, if you want to share what cravings have negatively taken over your life and your action plan to get through them, we’d love to hear it too!
I liked how she talked about not fantasizing over food when it’s not that time to cook or prepare. Like salivating over dinner when it’s still the afternoon.
There were so many great truths I liked. Above was just one of the things she said that has been helpful.
Wow thank you so much for sharing this. This spoke volumes to me. First of all I never realized Job spoke about the eye covenant, but more importantly I will make an eye covenant when it comes to food. I tend to “crave” brownies especially when I am stressed out with my 4 kids. But I have been so blessed with your blog.
I used a lot of the post as a prayer. There are so many times I look at food and not the Lord. That is terrible.
Thank you! I really need this, now it’s time for me to go and conquer those battles, more God and less bad habits- Blessings.
I have the book and it’s been awhile since I have read it. I would have to go back through it to see what stood out specifically.