There is a major fallacy that keeps many stuck in super, morbid obesity. That is that overeating our favorite foods will protect us from the kind of men that might want to do us harm. For those who have been sexually abused this becomes a major excuse for overeating.
They say, “I can’t lose weight because then I’d be too attractive and the wrong kind of men might come on to me and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Or others feel they can’t lose weight because when they do they might become sexually promiscuous.
So on one hand we self-protect with food so men won’t harm us and on the other we self-protect with food to keep us in line with the way God wants us to live. The evil one uses both of these issues to try to destroy us through diseases that ensue from extreme weight gain.
Why We Self-Protect
Those who try to self-protect with food have a root issue that began early and feels like a desire they cannot control because it’s just part of who they are. Those who were abused at very young ages feel like that was their fault, rather than the abuser’s fault.
This was true for me but in essence when I was a kid, food was the only thing I could think of to make me feel better. It was readily available, always at hand and always seemed to fix my angst.
The problem is it really didn’t and still doesn’t protect us. When we really think about it, making ourselves larger only makes us easy prey. An evil kind of man doesn’t care what size a woman is. He just wants what he wants.
God is Our Protector
What we really must realize is that God is our protector, not food. We need to rely on His power and strength to bring us through our emotional issues and fear. There will always be something we are afraid of. We need to understand that God will always protect us.
When I went over the times when I was molested as a child, I began to see many ways God actually did protect me. Right at pivotal points, people intervened even though they didn’t know what was happening. My dad called me to come home for supper allowing me to escape. My abuser’s wife called him to come for breakfast causing him to leave and not continue what he started.
Second Samuel 22:3-4 (MSG), explains why we should trust God to protect us. “God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout; My mountaintop refuge, he saves me from ruthless men. I sing to God the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved.”
Why Are We Afraid?
Whenever we are afraid it’s because the evil one has his grips in us in some way. For me it was fear of certain kinds of men, men who were like a poisonous snake. God is greater that those types of men, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV), tell us simply, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
Sometimes we are afraid because we can’t see, hear or feel God. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV), tells us that God is not asleep or far away. He’s always watching over us and knows who are enemies are and what they are capable of, but He is greater: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Protection During Difficulties
It’s in our most difficult times that God makes Himself known even more to us. He tell us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the river, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flame will not set you ablaze,” (Isa. 43:2, NIV.)
God doesn’t promise us an easy time here on this earth. There will be difficulties but He says in Psalm 30:5 (NIV), that “weeping may last for the night but joy will come in the morning.” That’s a promise from His Word.
Philippians 4:5-7 (NIV), reiterates this and tells us how to find peace in any situation. “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.”
God Will Rescue Us
All through the Psalms, God tells us that He will rescue us. “God please don’t stay far away. Rescue me, God, for You free my feet from every trap. Then we cried out, ‘Lord, help us! Rescue us!’ And He did!”
It reminds me of the Lauren Daigle song, “I Will Rescue You.” This is God saying this to you. “I hear you whisper underneath your breath. I hear your SOS, your SOS. I will send out an army to find you In the middle of the darkest night. It’s true, I will rescue you. I will never stop marching to reach you. In the middle of the hardest fight. It’s true, I will rescue you.” Let Him rescue you today.
Teresa Shields Parker is the author of six books and two study guides, including her No. 1 bestseller, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds. Her sixth book, Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds, is live on Amazon. She blogs at teresashieldsparker.com. She is also a Christian weight loss coach (check out her coaching group at Overcomers Academy) and speaker. Don’t miss her podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, available on CPN. This article first appeared on teresashieldsparker.com. For more on this topic and to hear my stories, go to episode 143 of Sweet Grace for Your Journey podcast, Food Will Protect Me. https://teresashieldsparker.com/podcast/.
James Lasher 
Abby Trivett 
