Faith gives peace

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Verse reflections:  It astounds me that Christ gets our overeating at so many different levels. The lack of peace is often what stimulates our appetite.  Our adrenal glands produce a hormone called cortisol in reaction to stress.  Ironically, high sugar, fatty and high carbohydrate foods produce dopamine which counteracts the cortisol.  Have you ever heard of “comfort foods?”  Yes, the mashed potatoes, fried chicken, cheeseburger, ice cream, chips, cookies, the chicken pot pie that you reach for are comfort foods.  If you think about it from an evolutionary or scientific standpoint it makes perfect sense.  Our bodies sense a threat and we think we should eat to give our bodies the energy required to fight that threat.  Unfortunately, our bodies actually burn less calories during this time period as our metabolism slows.  The science of this circle continues as the comfort foods stimulate the production of dopamine which actually elevates our mood.  Here is the problem.  Dopamine is the same chemical produced by the brain when you ingest cocaine.  That means withdrawal from carbugers can be extremely difficult and product cravings and anxiety.  This is where we have to get off the hamster wheel.  We have to be “justified by faith” that we can stop the circle.  We do not have to have guilt, or recrimination.  Faith in Christ has changed us.  We no longer have to carry baggage.  Unpack from your last trip.  We have to depend on God to give us peace instead of reaching for the foods to give us peace.  We have to depend on God, on Jesus Christ to give us peace.  Next time we reach for the foods to indulge in ask God for His peace, His dopamine.

Prayer:  Father, I know I am a stress eater.  I have to depend on You for my peace.  There is always a reason to feel stress.  There is always a reason to not have complete peace.  I know Your plan for my life will rise above any circumstance I encounter here on earth.  Lord give me peace today.  I have the faith today to believe in Your power, your forgiveness.  I will trust in Your peace.  I will have faith that You will rise above my unrest, the stress in my life.  I will have faith that You will take charge and fill my soul with peace so that I do not reach for food.  Please God.  I am weak on my own.  I must depend on You.  My tendency is to reach for food, to produce the cortisol so that my anxiety relaxes.  It works.  I can depend on it.  I have become addicted to this pattern.  Please help me justify changing my pattern.  Give me the faith this change requires. Help me depend on Your long-term peace.  The peace that lasts more than thirty minutes.  I know that my sugar high/peace disappears and I actually crash.  Your peace lasts long-term.  Give me that peace.  I love You.  I depend on Your peace today and every day.  I will depend on You to help me reach for God foods today’s July 18^th