(By Joyce Tilney) The world is full of self-help information on breaking addictions and easy ways to break a habit. A dictionary definition of “addiction” is:  “compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, alcohol or food);  persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.” So what is the problem? We are educated, intelligent people. Why can’t we break an addiction? The world is full of information, but only God’s Word can bring transformation in a life. For years, I fought the battle of the bulge, riding the roller coaster of emotions that accompany this battle.
I did not understand the cravings for food that led me to poor eating habits, causing the relentless urges, short-term satisfaction and long-term guilt. The guilt brought shame, anxiety and weight gain. The consumption of a poor diet doesn’t just affect our taste buds and waistline, but over time, it will rewire our brain. Pleasure and reward, entwined with our emotions, make a powerful force that is hard to break. One day I saw five words that changed my life: “The devil wants you fat!” Those five words brought reality to my life. This is a spiritual battle! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). I was playing right into his hands. Life was being drained from me; spirit, soul and body, one bite at a time. CONTINUE
