After Wende completed the Weight Loss Follow-Up course she wrote:
"Wow, thank you, Mike, for reminding me in this video of God's words, which are, of course, exactly what I need to hear right now: "Jesus loves me to the end!" I was feeling a bit sad as I sat down this morning to begin this lesson; I don't want the study to be over!
My heart is overflowing with tears of gratitude. I have been praying Romans 5:5 and asking God to pour out His love into my heart by His Holy Spirit. Needing to lose weight is how God got my attention, but my real journey was experiencing the love of Christ more deeply. God is ready to pour out His love into my heart, but that cannot happen when my heart is cluttered and full of other things (gratifying the flesh, obsessing over food.)
I have not weighed myself because weighing has been an unhealthy obsession in the past, but I can say this: my tight clothes have become comfortable again!
Initially, I understood the concepts of washing at the cross, walking by the Spirit, and warring against my flesh but did not have consistent practices necessary to experience the power of them.
I have been a faithful follower of Christ for 37 years, reading the Word and praying daily, but it has been a while since I have been impacted as I have been in these past 30 days. Going to the cross daily (multiple times!) to wash, connect with the Spirit, and then to continue warring against my flesh is so powerful.
Washing at the cross: I know to do this, but in the past only practiced coming to the cross in my need, on occasion, but it is now the daily focus of my study/prayer times.
Walking by the Spirit: What a joy! The things that have been frustratingly elusive (self-control, letting go of the idol of food, saying no to sinful desires) are now my mode of operation. The Spirit gives me clear victories as I keep in step with Him and teaches me practical lessons when I don't!
Warring against the flesh: The Spirit is redefining for me what it means to war against my flesh. Saying no, sometimes out loud so I can hear myself, is becoming my practice.
My God-given battle plan has been the trickiest part for me. Learning to hear and trust what I hear has been a challenge because I need to un-hear all the worldly food knowledge I have pumped into my brain for so many years. I have prayed and waited and gotten frustrated, trying to "hear" the perfect plan. Surprise! Surprise! It did not come with lightning bolts and fireworks! I finally decided to jot down what occurred to me, tell it to God, and then do it. That is when things started to click for me as I chose to trust God's still, small voice. My general battle plan consists of intermittent fasting from after dinner until truly hungry. Then I have a smaller to medium-sized meal (late breakfast/early lunch.) Then dinner with family on most nights. I have also been fasting as God prompts me, usually about once per week, and breaking when I hear a clear growl. Those fasts have been between 24 and 46 hours. The beauty of it all is that when washing at the cross, walking in the Spirit, and warring against my flesh, none of this is legalistic but rather the worship of my heart. It is not an overstatement to say that this is miraculous!
Weight loss: Yes. How much? I don't know and don't care. (Another miracle!) I now have the resources to live in self-control with no desire or need for the world's methods."
Question 6. With what parts of Wende's testimony did you identify? Please share your thoughts.
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.