Cheryle writes, "I have gone through a deep season of disappointment in myself. I know that I am forgiven, and I live a much different life than I did in my earlier days. But as I have gotten older, my heart has broken in a different way for the sins and mistakes I have made. It hurts to see that who I was was not who I could have been had I known and trusted the Lord then as I do now. It hurts because I hurt so many people. Perhaps not on the grand scale of dark and evil deeds, but in selfishness and anger because of things that have happened to me. And behaving in that way brought about dark and evil deeds. My gratitude to Jesus for His deliverance is more than I can even put into words! And yet, I still felt utterly disappointed in myself, to the point of sorrow and heartache. But going through this course, I have come to realize that the Lord has never been disappointed in me. He knew what I would do, what sins I would commit, and how I would respond to various events before I was ever born! He knew I would struggle with compulsive eating, profound obesity, self-harm, impurity, anxiety, and on and on, and He looked upon me with love and wooed me to Himself all my life. When I would not fully abandon myself to His Lordship, He stayed close and wooed me still. He loved me to the end of a terrible rebellion, life-sucking despair, and a broken heart. And He loves me always and still, through every washing at the cross and every stumble. He loves me as I listen closely to the Holy Spirit and when I get sidetracked by my own thoughts, and He loves me when I run back to Him. He loves me as I wear His full armor and fight the good fight, covered by the Blood of Jesus, and He loves me when I don't. I don't think I have ever understood this so clearly until going through this course. Perhaps I knew it in my mind, but not in my heart or in my soul. I do not want to mock the Lord, ever! I do not want my life to be a slap in His face. And if it were, He would still love me to the end. This brings burning tears to my eyes. Whether I weigh 419 pounds (my highest), 227 pounds (my current), or 167 pounds (a healthy set point I hope to achieve as I walk closely with Him), He loves me through it all, and He will love me to the end. He loved the girl, who was encased in sadness and only found false comfort in food. He loves me when I eat healthily and get outside. He loved me before I was born, and He will love me through death until I am with Him fully. His love overwhelms me.
I have found the biblical principles taught in the weight loss courses so helpful. I use them more and more in EVERY area of my life. When I get a thought that might encourage me to eat or behave in an unhealthy, ungodly way, I run to the cross, walk by the Holy Spirit, and war against the flesh. I don't wring my hands in despair as if there is no hope! There is HOPE in Jesus' finished work on the cross!
The Lord has given me a clear plan of when to eat, which is a fast from 4:30 p.m. until 8:30 a.m. It has been a BLESSING to have this, as there is freedom in doing what God has called me to do. I get outside a lot more for fresh air and exercise. I sleep much better. My weight is dropping, but that is NOT my focus. I just feel better, and I am filled with gratitude.
My clothes are looser, my sleep is much improved, and my blood glucose and blood pressure are healthy. I have good energy! I have a love for vegetables that I did not have most of my life. I see the MANY benefits of eating at home rather than eating out! I feel so much better eating what I cook, and I look at eating out as a treat, not a habit.
I recommend this course. Like many others, I have tried so many weight-loss programs. I have done much better managing my weight over the last 20 years, but I still found it a struggle in some ways. That was because I was still thinking that perhaps I had not found the right method for me at this point in my life. And the whole time, the 'right method' was there in my Bible, there at Setting Captives Free, where I had been for a long time! It takes a long time for some of us to get out of our own way! I am just so grateful, and I pray that other dear people can let go of that false idea that something in the world or of our own will ever bring healing. Jesus is the way, and He is just waiting for everyone to come to Him."
Question 7. What are your thoughts about Cheryle's testimony? Please share.
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