Put a plate full of French fries in front of me, and my best intentions of eating healthy fly out the window.
It’s even worse when I’m the one who ordered them, as I did at lunch this week.
Dunking each one in ranch dressing, I savored each bite of deliciousness.
Fries have never tasted this good. There should be a law against such great-tasting strips of deep-fried potatoes. But today, I’m glad there isn’t.
A half-hour later, walking out of the restaurant, regret consumed me.
Why do I do this to myself?
I vow in the mornings to eat healthy all day. I pray for God to help me make wise food choices.
Four hours later, I’m ordering French fries.
Really, Julie?
I don’t get it.
Now I’m not saying I should never eat fries. Nor am I saying that no one else should eat them either. But when someone is focusing on eating healthy, consuming French fries (and a plate-full, mind you) probably isn’t the healthiest food choice.
I guess it’s with any temptation… If we let what’s tempting us become the thing we focus on, we’ll most likely give in to it.
What do we do with temptation? It’s pretty clear I can’t fight it on my own.
1 Corinthians 10:30 has the answer (bolded mine):
Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward.
God is faithful. He always provides a way of escape.
I’m reminded of past temptations. More than I care to admit, I gave into them. I allowed them to take me down paths my feet should never have stepped on. The regret of giving in to those is real, and some, still raw.
Why wasn’t I stronger? Why did I give into them? I knew better.
Yes, we know better.
But without looking for God’s way of escape, without relying on Jesus to be our strength, we won’t be strong enough on our own. Eve was a perfect example of this in the garden of Eden.
So, instead of consuming a plate of fries, maybe a eating salad would be the way of escape?
Are you facing a particular temptation? Friend, I encourage you…
DON’T GIVE INTO IT.
God is faithful. Take your focus off the temptation. Ask Jesus to help you. Look for the way of escape God is providing for you. He has one. It’s there. You’ll see it.
Take it and run.
Regret will have no place in your life. What a beautiful picture of peace!
And you know… I’ll take peace over French fries any day.
Blessings!
Julie
(Scripture from The Voice Bible)
French fries are my downfall too. I’ve become committed to eating only real food (no processed, preservative fill stuff)….but fries? Goodness. We aren’t perfect, and won’t always resist temptation. But we can give ourselves a little grace, just as God does when we cave to other temptations, and pray for more strength next time!
Hi Jen! Thanks for stopping by today! Yes, God gives us grace. So thankful for that! Great job on committing to eating only real food! That can be a challenge some times. I’m glad I’m not the only one whose downfall is fries! Blessings to you today!
Talk about some convicting feelings as I read this while eating French toast! So much for sticking to my diet this morning. Thanks for that reminder to lean on God to resist temptations!
Sorry, Kathryn! :/ I love French toast too! Gosh, now I want to make that for breakfast tomorrow! I guess in the big scheme of things, French fries and French toast really aren’t that big of a deal, but still. One thing can lead to another… Have a great day, Kathryn!
I can so relate to this post Julie. I like my French Fries with ketchup; and I hate to admit, I’m eating Oreo Ice Cream as I read this! Thanks for the reminder that God can steer us away from temptations and guide us in making healthier choices.
Hi Doris! Oreo Ice Cream sounds wonderful right now. I also don’t think we should be so strict with ourselves that we can never enjoy treats like these. Moderation, moderation. But I tend to allow my “cravings” to get out of hand at times. Glad we can be on this journey together in Him!
I think our lives must be mirroring each other! French fries for lunch–check. Said I’d eat healthy today–check. Prayed that God would help me eat right–check. Day in and day out it seems lately this has been my life.
Thank you for the scripture on temptation. God definitely does provide the way out. I just, obviously don’t always want it. I’m reminded of a devotional post I read last year about race car drivers and where they look, where they place their focus, is the direction they wind up going. If they even glance at the wall, that is where they will end up. I need to stop focusing on the food I want to eat and focus on being healthy and seeing a healthy body in my mind. Then I will be successful. Thanks, Julie.
Sabra, that routine has been my life too lately! There’s someone in my life who understands this battle! Thank you for sharing that I’m not the only one. That’s interesting what you shared about race car drivers! I don’t want to end up at the wall. 🙂 Glad we can be in this together, Sabra! Thank you!