Give It Up

I recently posed this question on Facebook: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to give up? I was humbled by the honest responses, ranging from “pizza” to “hope.” My question stemmed from a recent personal revelation: giving up things we like is hard. I know, thank you Captain Obvious. But allow me to expand…

In my last post I shared my struggle with healthy eating. Since then, I have made a concerted effort to reduce my sugar intake (along with another FB responder!). A quick Google search about sugar addiction tells me that the first 48 to 72 hours are the hardest. Agreed. Some people find their cravings diminish after a few days, while others take more time to “train” their taste buds to be satisfied with less sugary substances. That’s me. Turns out I love sugar and its effects (okay, except for my waistline). This makes sense as my Google search also revealed that eating sugar releases opioids and dopamine in our bodies. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is a key part of the “reward circuit” associated with addictive behavior. That explains a lot--my headaches, moodiness, salivating over iced coffee….but it sure doesn’t make it any easier to stop.

So here’s where my brain goes--if something is this hard, it better be worth doing (although there are plenty of situations that we have no choice in giving up--like those who shared about failed relationships or death; but I will set aside that topic for the time being**)! Is giving up sugar worth doing? How about nicotine? Liquor? How about a toxic marriage? The common theme here seems to be habits that lead to unhealthy results. They feel good temporarily, but are ultimately destructive. A “sugar high” or “sugar rush” feels so good, but is it worth the crash? We all know the right answer, but it is so much harder to actually put it in motion.

Once I establish why giving up something I like is worth it, the next issue is how do I do it? The first thing that comes to mind is Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. So this looks great crocheted on a pillow, but what does it mean?! It means that God can give me the strength to do the hard things--like giving up things that bring me temporary happiness--for the bigger gain of my physical and emotional well-being. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, so Scripture tells us that the ability to do hard things is within us, how amazing is that? The hard part is letting go of my own human tendencies and submitting to God’s direction. Possible? Yes! Easy? No. I’m starting with prayer and an ongoing trust in His promises. I find a lot of comfort in this quote from Oswald Chambers: “God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself.” I can’t think of anything more worth it.

** For those of you who shared such personal and emotional responses--thank you for a glimpse into your heart. My prayer for you is that you will feel God’s presence amidst your loss.