Does it Matter More?

Tyler and I have had several conversations lately that start out "I want to lose x amount of weight."  We've been bombarded over the past few weeks with commercials and advertisements galour for weight loss programs, gyms, weight loss food, etc, etc, etc.  It's getting old pretty quick. 

Something else that is getting old are my thoughts.  I've been pre-occupied these past couple of months with what I call "vain imaginations" of myself.  In other words, my mind  has been pre-occupied on things that aren't true, but that overwhelm me with feelings of failure, inadequacy, and insecurity.  My vain imaginations aren't true, however I find myself living as if they were at times.  Ugh!  Didn't I already win this battle?

Tyler has been patient with listening to me talk about these things with him, but sometimes he's been frustrated because he feels wounded by my lack of trust in him.  He realizes I'm battling with inaccurate thoughts and constantly telling me what he sees, what he knows to be true about me.  "Doesn't it matter more to you what I see and know?" was something that he asked me several days ago.  That is a question I believe that Jesus has been gently asking me for some time now...Does it matter more to you what I see and know to be true or what this world is telling you?   

Do I value truth or vain imaginations?  Do I value freedom from or captivity to these vain imaginations?  Does my actions and responses reflect what I truly value?  It's easy to bow down in surrender to the natural, worldly patterns of thought.  Retraining or re-programming our minds requires us to be intentional.  God asks us to take captive and destroy anything that raises itself up against the true knowledge of God. So contrary to our natural tendencies.  How do we do this?  God has been calling to my mind Psalm 46:10-11; Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Cease striving means to let go, relax.  For me that means to stop being so prideful, believing that I can get it all under control on my own, and remembering how big and powerful my God is.  It means letting go of what I might be feeling is true and believing what He says is true.  I'm never going to "measure up" to the standards of this world, but I don't have to (I think I need to repeat that alot).  God is my stronghold and who I am is defined by Him.