Do thoughts about your body, weight, shape, and size consume your mind?!? Do you have an unhealthy relationship with food and/or your body?

So often we try to fix these 'issues' by changing what we see in the mirror, but if we stopped and realized they begin in the heart and mind, we would clearly see that they must first be addressed here as well.

I had I revelation that the problem with all unhealthy behaviors starts with a love of self. When we think we own our bodies, and love self, we give self what it wants and justify it. This causes us to walk around with a heavy burden, because we are trying to "own" something we were only meant to be managers over.

When we repent, surrender our bodies and self to the Lord, we are giving Him back what He already owns.

The thing about God is, He will never demand is to give Him things, but rather, He always waits for us to surrender them, because He has given us a free will. When we surrender to the Lord and make Him the rightful owner of our bodies, He will give us peace, guidance, and joy in return for the self-produced struggle.

Giving God control means that we can then be stewards over our bodies, (the word steward means to manage). When we manage something, we take good care of it, with the goal of pleasing the owner when they come to check in on things!

When we look at it like this, it takes the pressure of owning off of us, (which is a huge weight off our shoulders), and it puts the responsibility of managing in our hands...with the guiding and leadership of the owner showing us what to do!

Being a manager also means that we follow orders of the owner. Is God telling you to do something (or not to do something) when it comes to caring for your body? If He is the owner, it is responsibility as manager to simply say, "Yes Sir" and be obedient to what He is asking us to do.

This allows us to work as partners with the Holy Spirit, which is how God intended it... We let Him lead and own everything in our lives, and in turn He guides and directs us as we manage what He has entrusted to us.

Suddenly, what once seemed like a struggle, will now flow as it was designed to...effortlessly, like a well run successful business!

If you find yourself being weighed down with thoughts of your weight today, ask yourself, have I truly given God control? The first step begins with a choice to surrender...which is not as hard as it seems when you realize He has promised to take care of you, guide you, and provide for you!

Next, pray a prayer of surrender from your heart to your Heavenly Father.

If you don't know where to start, here one to get you started:

Father, today I make the choice to surrender my body to you. Forgive me for trying to own it, rather than being a good steward over it. I thank you for the incredible gift that you have given me of being able to manage over this body. Help me to be a good manager of the gifts you have given me, and to care for them in a balanced and healthy way. I surrender my thoughts, worries and fears about my weight, what people think about me and my body, and all controlling and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors about it to you. I lay these things down at your feet, trusting that you will lead and guide me on how to best manage and care for my body, because ultimately, it belongs to you!