Thank you so much for having the strength to make this post! Medical help can definitely make things easier, but learning to rely on God and the strength that he gives us is what helped me start making long-term changes in my life.
Although I’ve never struggled with cigarettes, I’ve struggled with over eating junk food and sweets, and when I decided to do some thing about it, I found that I couldn't make those changes long term, it made me think negative things about myself.
This may not be the case for you, and if it’s not, then don’t worry about it. But What I had to do was to pray for God‘s insight, God‘s wisdom, and God's strength, then ask God for insight and be honest with myself. If I can’t make myself quit overeating, then what shortcoming, what negative beliefs about myself are holding me back?
When I prayerfully thought about it, I realized that I see myself as a weak person, and I see myself as a sneaky person who enjoys getting away with eating food that isn’t good for me. It was hard to admit that at first, but then I was able to ask God to forgive me those weaknesses and forgive me for my sneakiness, and teach me and guide me.
He then taught me to also forgive myself for being sneaky and weak and follow those beliefs back to their origins. To ask myself, "where did those beliefs start? I realized I was still hurting over how my father treated me as a child, so I began forgiving him for the things he did and asked God to forgive me too for all the sneaky and weak choices I'd made.
With that forgiveness came a new and positive sense of self that hadn’t been there before, and I'm continuing to question my negative emotions and what they're rooted in, so that I can bring those hurts and shame before God and forgive them.
The other thing that God taught me is that I will have to suffer to make changes. Old habits don’t ever go away, and we have to persist, Especially when we feel bad, to become more like Jesus, and to live into the promises he made for us. I’ve currently lost about 55 pounds from my highest weight. , When I want to eat things that aren't good for me, I start praying, and I don’t stop until the cravings have passed. I tell myself, “if Jesus can suffer and bring himself to die on the cross, I can suffer and do without that candy bar!“
Finally, every day when I pray, I end it with asking God to transform me into the man he created me to be. And I put my life in his hands. When I do that, it changes my thinking and how I perceive things, and I continue to have insights and growth that was just not possible before!
I hope this helps, and I pray that God guides you to a future of health, happiness, and blessings!
Steve
