Written: April 28, 2024
Edited: May 10, 11, 12 & 13, 2024
Can we just talk about how crazy our minds can be sometimes??
I can’t stop thinking about how we have such skewed views of ourselves… and we let our minds play so many games with us.
I’m shoveling Twizzlers down my gullet as I write this — maybe it will help with the editing.
I’ve been trying to figure out what to write and how to edit this for a few days now, and I just need to click “post.”
I know it will encourage someone.
And maybe that someone is me.
If you’ve ever struggled with self image, do you have days that are just terrible? Self image is in the trash? And then the next second, or the next day, you feel fine and you’re not in that dark place anymore?
Exactly.
Our minds can play really crazy tricks on us. I heard this awesome sermon the other day and the entire time I couldn’t stop thinking about my own Ed recovery (and current recovery journey) ❤️🩹
Let me share my notes with you…
(Ps Here’s the link to the sermon - it was a goodie! https://www.youtube.com/live/c7XlYavDGx4?si=Ry2lCV4vQiUcRkw2 )
I walked into church not thinking too much about what I looked like — what a freeing thing, this is so new for me. I threw on a cute shirt, some ripped jeans, and headed out the door with a few minutes to spare.
Sitting here now during in the sermon, all I can think about is my stomach rolls and thighs busting out of the holes in these jeans…
Then pastor said something.
It caught me dead in my tracks of the negative thoughts about myself.
Put on the armor of light! 💡
…rather clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Romans 13:11-14
Why am I so obsessed with my looks! This isn’t me anymore! This doesn’t have a hold on me! I have to be this new creation, even though I may still struggle!
I have to keep ridding myself of these things…
I want FREEDOM.
And life!
And to not worry about my body!
So how do I do that??
And the sermon went on…it’s like this was made for me to hear…
Not giving into old mindsets or habits, but truly living in the new creation…
It is so related to ED stuff - we cannot keep looking backwards, to who we used to be, or to what we used to look like…
We have to live in the new creation of what God is doing! And I have to focus on that today and right now, even if I might feel like Pillsbury biscuits.
”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!“ 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus Christ doesn’t care about how toned I am or how I look in my clothes.
So why do I still care so much?
It’s this daily battle of fighting the flesh. And actively working against the lies I have believed for so long.
It is a daily thing.
Clothe yourself in the characteristics of Christ - nothing else.
This is where I can so often go wrong.
I can be so inwardly focused. I can be so obsessed about how clothes fit or how I look in them.
Get those eyes on Jesus, babe. Look up!
It’s okay if you still have these anxieties and thoughts, but fix your eyes on Jesus! He is the only one that can truly show us who we are and what ACTUALLY matters!!
Be made new in the attitude of your mind. Put on the new self.
Where is your mind, Elsa? Where is your focus? Because I can sure tell you when I’m focused on myself, I’m never ever felt good enough, toned enough, lean enough, looked good enough in clothes….and the list goes on.
We can’t just think about it - we have to act on it!!
“We have to move from unintuitive living to intentional living.” - Jeff Moors
Man, that’s good.
Because my instinct and initial feelings most of the time are to live in my ED!! And to stay stuck.
But that isn’t being intentional — being intentional means to actively fight against that!
Spiritual discernment is the Holy Spirit letting you know something is off; intentional means to do it on purpose and do it deliberately. We have to do that with our faith - but we have to do it with our OBSESSION WITH OURSELVES!!
Because that’s what an Ed is, right - loving yourself so much you hate yourself? Sorry, I know that’s harsh, but it’s real. At least that’s been so real for me. I’m so prideful that I can’t stop thinking about myself and all of my flaws.
So how free would I be with NOT focusing on myself so much?
I have to be intentional. I have to take off the old garments and put on the new ones, clothing myself in the characteristics of Christ. NOT in what I think about myself.
Why?
To be transformed into the new creation! And all of the good good life that God has for me.
Then the pastor asked this really good question…
What are you doing to take off the old garments / thought patterns / habits??
If you’re not intentional about transforming, you will be unintentionally becoming like the culture around you…
What you think about you become…
How do we change the pattern of our minds?
(These are all of my notes from the sermon from Pastor Jeff, I’m telling you, you need to listen. It’s so good!)
Let’s get practical:
SET YOUR MIND - the word set means to exercise your mind. You have to create an algorithm for your mind. Exercising your mind means being intentional about what you’re feeding it. What you’re watching. Consuming. Believing. Scrolling. The mind governed by the spirit is LIFE and PEACE. We spend so much time chasing things in this world….seeking the perfect body. Seeking to be a smaller pants size. But seek first HIS kingdom and his righteousness!
What are you thinking about?
Philippians 4:8 reminds us to think about whatever is true, right, lovely, praiseworthy, admirable…think about such things.
Notice your thoughts.
Is this thought I have about myself and my body true, right, excellent, admirable or praiseworthy??
Because I can sure tell you that most of the thoughts that run through my mind are NOT.
I read this recently….Don’t just look to Jesus - look away to Jesus!
Look away from all of the other things — and this is active work! We cannot be passive about it!
The person you talk to the most is YOURSELF. Are you saying things that are excellent or lovely or praiseworthy?
We have to meditate on Scripture and what the word of God says if we truly want to be healed.
Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and meditates on it day and night!
2. SURROUND YOUR MIND - bad company corrupts good character. Is your own ED mind bad character??
“99% of your success is going to be determined by your reference group”
And those who we habituate with, we will adapt and assimilate to those around us.
Do the people and voices around you display the characteristics of Christ. Who are you surrounding your mind with?
Maybe a lot of that could be the problem…
And last but not least,
3. RINSE & REPEAT - this is how we will daily overcome our Ed voice. Rinse. And. Repeat. Keep doing it. Keep focusing on truth. Keep replacing the lies with truth! Repentance isn’t a one time thing, we have to renew our minds over & over again and this may be 100 times a day (or honestly more enough for me some days)
What does God say & what would Jesus do?
Seasons change, our mindsets change, our healing and recovery changes and molds…how do we deal with this now and today?
It’s comfortable to hate our bodies! Sometimes it’s just easier. Old intuitive living - it’s easy to fall back into what’s comfortable.
But let’s be intentional! Over and over!
Walking out of church I was just thinking about how I may always have these thoughts. I used to think I’d be fully recovered someday, and I’d never had these thoughts again about my body, but the difference is now — I have these thoughts but I’m not negatively acting on them. I can catch the lies so much quicker. I may still have 100 thoughts a day about myself, my body, not liking the way I look, but it doesn’t consume me as much.
And I don’t give into the lie that another diet or workout will solve anything.
And honestly, as much as I hate to admit it, it keeps me so so dependent on Jesus — and all that he is doing in my life. I may not be this dependent on him or trust him in so many ways if I didn’t have these struggles.
I have so much more to say, but it’s so hard to put it into words!! I just wanted to share my notes from the sermon and how much it impacted me. If you’re struggling with an Ed, I can promise you there so much freedom on the other side. Definitely a battle, we can’t just sit back and relax.
However, healing and progress IS possible.
You’re doing great, sweetie! Never forget it. Just please don’t believe everything you think. Focus on what is excellent, praiseworthy and admirable…
Let me leave you with the Scripture itself. Any more I just talk about it, it won’t do it justice. Just read it for yourself and let these words sink in….
Philippians 4
“…stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! …be of the same mind in the Lord….Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
I mean, I don’t know about you, but that pretty much summarizes all of this. Rinse & repeat, friends! Don’t just read this scripture, do what it says!!
But here’s the crux of it — I cannot find this freedom in my own strength. I honestly really struggle with making sure I am thinking about the right things. My mind wanders so easily. Maybe yours does too. Let’s switch our intuitive living to intentional living. Maybe that’s where the true healing begins…
Xx
Elsa
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