Let the Lord and Leptin rule!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22

Verse Reflections:  Self Control!  The one fruit of the spirit that is frequently elusive for me.  God, in His grace, blessed me with a loving, joyful spirit that is kind. While I occasionally fall short in all of these areas, self-control of my eating habits is a quality I have longed for deeply. Listen carefully to the whisper of this verse.  God gently reminds us in Galatians 5 that when we walk in the Spirit, when we nourish ourselves with the whole, life-giving foods, self-control becomes not just possible, but attainable. And while God may whisper, I tend to shout this truth from the rooftops: there is freedom in eating the foods God designed for our bodies.   There is a magic hormone that our God and Lord has created called Leptin that lets our body know when we are full.  There have been times in my life I was convinced I had no Leptin production because of the amounts of food I could eat could put away.  I promise I could rival any person you know.  My record was 18 hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one sitting and the list goes on.  But something amazing happened when I began eating whole, God-made foods. The physical cravings faded. The battle quieted. And for the first time in my adult life, I began to feel what it is like to be truly full – not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

Here’s why: When we eat highly processed, sugary, or carb-heaving foods, they flood our system with insulin, which blocks the effects of Leptin. The result? Our body doesn’t get the signal that we are full. So we keep eating, searching for satisfaction that never comes. Today I write this devotion with a full heart- grateful, amazed and free from a cycle that haunted me for decades.

And, yet nothing worth doing is easy. Do not expect a magically end to temptation. The fruit of the spirit, God’s spirit, is following His directions to eat healthy foods even when it is hard.  When we return to the foods God gave us- fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, healthy fats- we nourish our bodies in a way that aligns with how we were created. Omega-3 rich foods like salmon, avocados and walnuts actually support Leptin productions, helping us to feel satisfied. It is a beautiful cycle: God’s food brings fullness. Fullness brings freedom. Freedom brings self control.

Prayer:  Wow Father.  You have given us the answer, all the answers in this one verse.  If we follow Your spirit we will have self-control.  It is fascinating to me that science, the way our phenomenal bodies work back up this verse.  Give us the power, Your power to eat God foods today.  Thank You that You have created our bodies to have self-control, to feel full when we do this.  That being said, I have a lot of years of mental baggage that I need You to help me unpack.  Help me not to just mentally want those amazing foods I have associated with “deserving”, “relieving stress”, “rebelling” and other ridiculous emotions.  Allow me to shine inside with Your light of healthiness, excitement about doing something about this crazy hamster wheel I have lived on way too long.  Thank You for giving me all the tools that lead to self-control.  I ask You, I beg You to give me that power deep inside to start and continue this healthy way of eating Your foods today.  I love You and thank You for the answers that were always there.  I was just too stupid to know it.