Conquer Cravings? Redirect them to God.

I have started going over the book "Made To Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst for the women's Bible study at my church.  This past week was our first study and it was great!  Even though each one of us may be on completely different paths in regards to our food journeys, losing weight and getting healthier - it is so comforting and reassuring knowing that we all have the same connection through Christ and can be there for each other no matter where we are at personally. 
This week we discussed the introduction and chapters 1 and 2.  I love how Lysa writes about our "want to" in her introduction:  "It's not the 'how to' I'm missing.  It's the 'want to' ...really wanting to make changes and deciding that the results of those changes are worth the sacrifice."  I struggle with this all the time.  I do feel like I know what I should do, what I need to do, but I just am lacking the biggest part - the 'want to'.  And really I do 'want to', but is the 'want to' a deep enough 'want to', if that makes sense.  A lot of people have things that they 'want to' do, but is it enough of a priority to actually do something about it.  I know I'm on my path of changing my 'want to' to a 'I'm doing it - now!'
Made To Crave is an amazing book that really challenges you to put God into your food struggles and to realize that overeating and not taking care of your body does really matter to God!  He made you and loves you and does care if you are over doing it with food!  Sometimes I feel like I have "spiritual malnutrition".  Lysa talks about this, where you are physically overweight, but spiritually underweight.  She also writes,  "I am made for more than a vicious cycle of eating, gaining, stressing -- eating, gaining, stressing... I am made to rise up, do battle with my issues and, using the Lord's strength in me, defeat them - spiritually, physically, and mentally - to the glory of God." 
Satan intentionally chooses things that he knows will make us fall, he knows where we are weak and he will use that for all it's worth!  I know that when I'm battling in my mind whether I should eat more food or a certain sweet thing that I'm so engulfed with the obsession that it doesn't matter if I try walking away or talking to God because my mind is already on the "sin" and I can't get it off my mind.  Of course I know that God is right there for me to run to, but I don't want to pray for help because I want that piece of food more - my mind is focused on nothing else!  I hate that - because I truely do want to pray and run to God, but in that moment of weakness, I fail!  This is what I'm learning - I have to have things set up before hand - a plan that I can follow for when the thoughts start coming, because they will - especially for a while.  Satan is going to push and push you to see if you are serious about this new way of life.  I need to redirect it all to God - give it to God.  One way that I'm working on doing this is whenever I think of wanting to over do it and get off my plan, I open the Bible and just start reading.  You can't go wrong there, either your craving will pass or you just may feel guilty enough about reading the Bible and God talking to you that you won't continue to "sin".  This has been really good for me and God has shown me a number of verses to help me along my journey. When Satan was trying to tempt God, God quoted Scripture and so can we!  It is important to keep the verses that are speaking to you close to you - whether on a piece of paper or in your mind - memorization would be an amazing help! 
I know for me that my journey of changing my lifestyle to a healthy one and losing weight, the correct way is a spiritual issue for me.  I did not think that way all along.  God has really revealed to me that I am focusing too much on food and not on Him!  I felt like Lysa took these words out of my mouth when I read them in her book, "it was about this battle that raged in my heart.  I thought about, craved, and arranged my life too much around food.  So much so, I knew it was something God was challenging me to surrender to His control.  Really surrender."  My journey is about something more than just me and my physical looks and fitness, it is about my walk with God and making sure that He is the sole focus of my life!
I John 2:15-16  Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world."
From the book Lysa gives the definition for CRAVING (from Dictionary.com):  "something you long for, want greatly, desire greatly, and beg for."  She goes on to write, "Now consider this expression of craving: 'How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God' (Psalm 84:1-2).  We are made to crave - long for, want greatly, desire eagerly, and beg for --- God.  Only God."  ONLY GOD!