I shared the other day that I was thrilled to be participating with a group of gals in a 21-day journey following Lysa TerKeurst’s new book, Made to Crave. Part of the journey involves reading and commenting on some daily devotions relating to the principles she teaches in the book. Today’s topic was an extremely sensitive topic for me, because I’ve had to learn it first-hand, the hard way. It’s a topic that I actually speak on at women’s events. And…it’s a topic that part of me still needs to be reminded of every now and then. Allow me to share a snippet of today’s devotion with you…

“We were made for more! More than this failure … more than this cycle … more than being ruled by our taste buds, body image, rationalizations, and guilt. We were made for victory. Sometimes we just have to find our way to that truth.”

For me…I KNOW…I really KNOW that I’m made for more than “this”. I’m made for more than mediocrity…made for more than settling with where I’m at on my health journey…made for more than the shame I feel every time I emotionally eat…made for more than failure at diets…made for more than feeling disgust each time I step on the scale. Yes – I’m made for more than this. So, why don’t I live that way sometimes? Simply put…I’m putting more stock in my own negative thoughts than in the truth of God’s Word. I’m allowing past regrets to dictate my todays and possibly my tomorrows. So, how do we stop that vicious cycle?

Abide in the truth of God’s word. Your mind must be transformed by it (Romans 12:2). Who does He say you are…not who do you say you are? Friends…God’s plans are not our plans, but his plans are not harmful…rather quite the opposite. In Jeremiah, we can know that God’s plans are actually plans to give us a future and a HOPE! He has no plans of ever abandoning us. Romans 8 teaches that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. That kind of hope screams…”YES, you were made for more than this!”

I went out on a limb…a limb of faith, so to speak…and posted on my blog last week that yes, I’m on a weight loss journey again. But…this time…it’s really about so much more than the weight loss. Yes, I’ve shed some pounds, actually pretty significant pounds in just a few weeks. But, I’m not even going to share that total just yet, because God is doing a greater work in me than just trimming fat. He’s trimming lies I’ve believed for years. My desire, my yearning, my craving for Him happens to be stronger than it’s ever been. And…I think, actually I know, that this is one craving that He’s happy to see me indulge in. As a result, He’ll take care of the pounds.

Competitive. Ambitious. Driven. Competitive. Motivated. Determined. Competitive. Passionate. Emotional. Competitive. Some words that define me…competitive being the common denominator in this grouping. Yes, I’m very competitive. Just ask my family, and they’ll back me up on that one. Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not competitive in the bloodthirsty sort of way – just in the spirited, ready for action sort of way. As a matter of fact, whenever I have what I deem to be a “brilliant” idea that I’m ready to run with, I tend to work hard at it with all gusto until I either (1) succeed, or (2) burn out while waiting to succeed. Patience is not my virtue, in all honesty. But, I’m working on that.

Lately, I feel like my competition has been ME! I’m constantly competing against me for time, energy, emotion, creativity, etc. Part of me wants to go, go, go all the time. The other part says “slow down, girl”. This past summer was, lets just say…challenging. It was full of wonderful, amazing things…a mission trip to Africa, a new job, a women’s speaking conference to name a few. And each of these things gave me ideas that I just NEW I had to get started at right away. I was anxious, ready for action…a bit spirited. Then…I waited. Nothing. I waited a little longer. Still nothing. Maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe God was trying to tell me “no”. I was ready! But, apparently God had other plans that produced a bit of delay. Then I was reminded of one of the most beautiful things I learned this summer from speaker, writer, and all around amazing woman of God, Angela Thomas. As she so eloquently shared, “While waiting, BECOME the woman who’s ready when He says NOW!”

WOW! Let that resonate for a minute…

“While waiting, BECOME the woman (or man) who’s ready when He says NOW!”

Sometimes, the miracle occurs during the process. Sometimes God’s light is brighter while waiting. The problem comes when we don’t slow down long enough to see Him shining or listen to Him speaking or feel His nudging and direction. Then, we miss Him all together.

Friends, I challenge you…”while waiting, become the woman (or man or child) who’s ready when He says now!”

If waiting for a new job…become that employee…

If waiting for your house to sell…become that home closer…

If waiting for a new baby…become that new parent…

If waiting for a healing…become that healed person…

If waiting for a prodigal…become that forgiving family member…

If waiting for a miracle…become that miracle recipient…

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 NLT