I cannot avoid food temptation on my own.  Today, I will go to my first Christmas party of this year.  This is my first time of the Christmas season to face a food table, with gooey holiday desserts and salty, fatty snacks.  My instinct is to indulge and enjoy; it is a special occasion, and I can overdo it just this once. Since I do not want to spend the entire month of December overeating,  I need to depend on God for strength.

God takes what I have, my messed up attempts to get it right, my inability to stick to any diet, and gives me strength to overcome food addiction.  Psalm 18:29 is, “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God, I can scale any wall. (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996, 2004, 2007)   With God, I have the strength to eat less, even during the Christmas eating season.

God has shown me I can enjoy small amounts of party food without overeating .   My party strategy is to take small amounts of my favorite foods and slowly enjoy eating them.  Most of the time, I feel satisfied before I am done with my plate.  I take at least one bite of everything, so I don’t feel guilty when I stop eating and toss what is left.  I am free to enjoy everything about Christmas, including visiting with friends at parties.   Christmas celebrations revolve around food, when the main focus should be the meaning of the season.  The Lord gives me strength to truly enjoy Christmas without overindulgence.