Are you a Jesus girl who struggles with overeating? As a child of God, where do you turn for overeating help? If you want to know how to overcome overeating with God, this post will give you the tips and motivation to end the battle through the Bible and Christ.
Her eyes sparkled as brightly as her shimmery pink princess dress. A tippy-toe twirl and a perfect curtsy affirmed her princess status. Disney tells us that every little girl is a princess—all you need is a hope and a dream, and a $30 dress that will eventually be covered in mud and peanut butter.
“Princess”…it’s a term that has lost its significance at the hand of sequins and glitter. But, being a daughter of the King is a far greater calling than going on a conquest for “good” with your fluffy animal sidekick.
In this post, we will talk about your princess status and what that has to do with overcoming food addiction with God.
Who is a Jesus Girl?
If you are a Christian, a woman who knows Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are, in fact, a daughter of the King—a Jesus Girl. This position holds special privileges and high standards. A life of royalty is not always a glamorous one.
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 (NLT)
(not sure you’re a Christian, read more here)
We aren’t ordinary—we are set apart (1 Peter 2:9), called to do great things for God (2 Timothy 1:9).
Now, before we proceed, I’ll ask you to set aside the tarnished perceptions you have of rulers based on the ungodly “leaders” we have today. Rather, imagine the greatness that is found in the Holiness of God. He is the Perfect King.
This is True Royalty.
Imagine Walking Away from Overeating for Good
You are royalty. Royalty acts to best represent the kingdom from which they come. Respected leaders set an example with their actions, and do hard things. And people follow them because they know they have their best interest in mind.
As a Jesus girl, the calling on your life grants you everything that is IN Christ, including unimaginable blessings (Ephesians 3:20) and also standards that will cause your flesh to suffer (1 Peter 4:1).
You’re spiritually seated in Heavenly Places with Him (Ephesians 2:6) but, in the meantime, you’re His ambassador here on earth (2 Corinthians 5:20).
We enjoy abundance and we do hard things.
Living as a Jesus Girl
If you really believed your heritage, how would that knowledge impact the way that you live your daily life? Would you handle those unexpected bills or sleepless nights any differently?
There’s a massive change of perspective that happens when we begin to see life’s ups and downs through the eyes of a King’s daughter.
Our Heavenly Father possesses all things. The past and the future are all the same to Him. A galaxy is but a marble in His hand.
The One who watches over you has no bounds and neither does His love for you. He will not leave you or forsake you. He watches over you and navigates your life so that every circumstance is for your eternal good.
There is truly nothing to fear.
How Does She Overcome Overeating with God?
A Jesus girl knows these things and this is FREEDOM for her. Freedom from fear and anxiety, worry and depression.
But, with this life of privilege also comes a high mark. You see, a princess also makes sacrifices for her calling. She understands that she must live a life of integrity, honor, and temperance. There is no room for foolishness when the stakes are high.
In light of this, she makes difficult choices not because she has to but because she esteems her position so highly. She sees through the empty promises of pleasure from the world around her and embraces true contentment that comes from putting first thing first.
A Jesus Girl’s Perspective on Food (+ Overeating Help)
Now imagine that you apply “living a life as a daughter of the King” to how you eat. How would that knowledge impact the way that you live your daily life? Would you handle those unexpected brownies or the desire to “stress eat” any differently?
Here we will look at how our position as royalty can change our perspective on food.
Please note, this is not a To Do List but a “To Aspire To List” to overcome overeating urges. We may never arrive BUT we can touch the heart of our Heavenly Father as we try.
1. She believes that God will provide for her needs and overeating is not necessary.
As a child of God, you are richly provided with all you need. God is not stingy with His children; He won’t give you a stone if you ask for bread (Matthew 7:9). You can trust that God knows exactly what your body requires and He will ensure you have the sustenance it needs.
There is no reason to envy what others are eating or scurry for more than is required. Most of us are fortunate to have plenty of food available and it’s only a short walk, call or drive away.
A Jesus girl knows this and it brings great peace to how she sees food. She puts on the armor of God to defeat overeating.
2. She desires to glorify God and sees overeating urges for what they are.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
A Jesus girl realizes that she can glorify God in every area of her life, not only in “Christian” things such as prayer and Bible Study.
A daughter of the King represents her Father at ALL times—from the impression she makes on someone she passes on the street to the way she cares for her home, piles of laundry, dishes, and all.
She also sees her eating as a simple way to show how wonderful her Father is, placing His reputation above her own cravings. As someone who struggles with food, if you were to watch her eat, you’d see the goodness of God in her peaceful countenance and self-control.
3. She discusses her needs with her Father and goes to Him for overeating help.
A Jesus girl knows exactly where to go to mourn life’s trials or celebrate its victories. She trusts, respects, and adores her Father so much that there is no hesitation to run with desperation to Him. After all, He is the ruler of the Kingdom and can grant her everything she needs.
A stressful day, an elated heart, or eyes that can barely stay open to brush her teeth are all cues to fellowship with Jesus. She breathes in His peace and basks in His presence and those unsurmountable circumstances and overwhelming emotions are washed with the peace of His perspective.
Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.
Isaiah 40:4 (NKJV)
A Jesus girl knows that turning to food in these situations won’t solve any of her problems. She shuts the pantry door and runs to her prayer closet.
4. She is aware of her high calling and eats to reflect her position.
From the outside, the life of a princess may seem enviable. While there are exquisite provisions and accommodations, the life of a royal is far from cushy. There are hard decisions to be made and crises to be solved, all in the name of her high position.
A Jesus girl is aware that her life is not her own and that the choices she makes impact her calling—they tarnish or sharpen her shine. She knows that her actions are setting an example for others and she is willing to do hard things for their sake.
Because of this, she may choose to eat (or not) based on how it will influence others, rather than catering to her wants. She longs to set a good example for her children and to fuel her body well so that she may do God’s work.
However, she knows that those meals may not always line up with what the world calls “healthy.” She taps into the voice of the Holy Spirit and follows His personalized leading.
How to Overcome Overeating with God in Real Life
I am glad you asked! As I mentioned above, I am not sharing these concepts to leave you condemned but to give you a peek into what your food-life, saturated with God’s grace, can look like for overeating help.
Of course, life is messy and our eating will never be “perfect.” However, each nugget of Jesus we can bring in will only lighten our load and encourage godly eating. As we begin to embrace our position in Christ, the desire to overeat will begin to fade.
For me, bringing this royal perspective into how I eat brings peace and calm (when I do it). Two things no diet can deliver.
With a Jesus girl’s point of view, I am content with the food that I have because I know that God will provide all that I need. I celebrate that He is generous, knows my preferences, and will not withhold tasty treats from me. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me on the path of life because He knows my health and what my days hold. I am aware that how I eat matters as I look to set an example in gratitude, contentment, and self-control for my daughter and those around me. My spirit is attuned and I acknowledge the desire to eat outside of hunger as a cue for God. Food is in its proper place and my soul is glad.
I’ll be honest, no one day has every single one of these elements for me, but each and every day is better than the last.
When I feel like royalty, I eat like royalty.
A Jesus Girl’s Overeating Help
To move forward in God’s grace and stop overeating, here are a few simple steps you can start today:
TRUE OVEREATING HELP #1: Become more aware of your position in Christ.
Set aside a few minutes each day to meditate on Bible verses about His and your royalty. Sit still for a moment or two…let them sink into your heart.
Write out those verses that resonate with you on 3×5 cards and post them where you can see them. Review them before meals, and read them before your most tempting times to overeat.
TRUE OVEREATING HELP #2: Observe your cues and urges to overeat.
Begin to pay attention to your less-than-royal behaviors around food. Are you still eating like a pauper who is worried about his next meal? In those moments, gently remind yourself Whose and who you are.
TRUE OVEREATING HELP #3: Choose one royal characteristic to grow in.
Create a clear vision of how a daughter of the Most High King would eat.
How does she act when she is hungry? What does she do when her husband eats the last cookie? How does she eat her meal? When and why does she stop eating? What does she do when her emotions overcome her?
What fruit(s) of the Spirit is she walking in? Choose one characteristic to grow in and journal 5 ways you can apply that to your eating.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
By getting to the heart of the matter and going to the Author and Finisher of our faith for overeating help, you are on your way to a permanent overeating solution that will not only change your life but will grow your relationship with your Father.
And, while you may never put on a pink princess dress, you will stand a little taller as you recognize your royalty!
Brandice Lardner is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author, Homeschool Mom, and Jesus Girl whose mission in life is to help women ditch the diet mentality and find peace with food and their bodies so that they are better equipped to do the great things God has called them to do.
This is one of the most special things I’ve ever read. How thoughtful, insightful, and helpful to a girl who loves to eat and sometimes feels guilty. Thank you so much-
Wow, Michelle, thank you for the encouragement! Immersing yourself in God’s grace is fuel for change. Condemnation is from the enemy but the conviction of the Spirit (while painful sometimes) inspires and excites us for greater things. Welcome, and I hope you enjoy your time here 🙂
Hi Brandice,
I had to stop in the middle of your post to comment. This is absolutely the most spirit filled, heart touching post I’ve ever read on this topic. As I read my heart is so filled with awe at how you so eloquently applied the scriptures and the life of a Christian woman to overeating. I’m not just saying this to make you feel good, but I hope it does because it’s really a good post. But I truly can see Gods hand at work! Thank you so much for this post. I’m a wife to a wonderful, but I’ll husband whom I have loved for nearly 15 years, mother to 2 young girls for 7 years, and a special ed teacher of 17 years. Life is hard, but especially so when you have spouse who is so sick that he can no longer work at this time, and when I am dealing with a mild form of RA. RA for me has not been a significant problem because I think the Lord is just blessing me that way and I AM GRATEFUL. So stress has become a part of my life. Therefore I overeat ALL.THE.TIME!!! I have prayed and searched the scriptures and internet for help on this topic. But I’ve never thought about using my position as a Kingdom kid to overcome this problem. But I am definitely pinning your post to go back and reflect on it daily. Thanks again!!!
Hey “Teach!” I am so glad that God is using these words in your life. Noticing how stress affects you is key. Keep an eye out for it building throughout the day. Are there times you can cut it off before it gets to be harder to manage? Maybe having a time of prayer or praise on the way home from work or setting aside 15 minutes each evening where you give yourself permission to rest without eating. Welcome, and I hope to “see” you around the blog!
Hi Brandice! God bless you this is a great article I’ve been struggling with this lately but this definitely helps! ???
You’re so welcome, Erica! This post has a helpful Bible study too: http://gracefilledplate.com/bible-overcome-overeating/
Wow…. tears in my eyes!! This is exactly what I needed today and something I will read again when I need it. You are so encouraging! Thank you so much for this!
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Shelby! It is so encouraging to hear what God has for us 🙂
Hi,
Thank you. I needed this beautiful reminder of who I am in Christ! My prayer is for those of us who have forgotten how precious we truly are that our Heavenly Father will awaken the warrior within us and by His grace remind us of our worth!!! And may our thought patterns and habits with food be restored in Jesus’ sweet name, I pray, Amen!
~Michelle
I love that you’re joining us in prayer, Michelle!
This was a nice post. Due to some family health issues, I have read an enormous amount in the last year about food, and how our bodies process it. I agree with so much of what you have written and think that biblical reflection is important in everything, including our approach to food. Our modern diets are so unhealthy, and it does matter what we put into our bodies. Most of us eat mostly processed foods, and a staggering amount of sugar and carbohydrates (which are largely the same thing from the perspective of our pancreas and insulin response), which means that we are hungry all the time, and rarely satiated, which causes us to overeat.
In all of my reading, I have come back to biblical references to food, and there are two foods that come with warning labels- wine and honey. Proverbs 25:16 “If you have found honey eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.“ Excess honey (sugar) is causing so much damage to our bodies and spurred an obesity epidemic with far reaching consequences.
I think that prayer as well as bible study regarding food are the two most important things we can do to regain control of our diets and health.
It sounds like you’re enjoying this journey of discovery, Heather, and that God is speaking to you!
I can’t tell you how much this post means to me. This is one of those life-changing posts for me. Bless you, Brandice, for letting the Lord using you to help so many of us!
That’s amazing to hear, Kate! <3
This is amazing timing! God knew I needed this! I am 53 and heavy, on the verge of health problems. I want to make self-control my focus this year. Yes, with food, but in other ways also. I know that my cravings are a sign of not trusting and resting in God. Thank you for obeying God’s calling for you!
You’re welcome, Tara! I love how your spirit is sensitive to this and how you’re willing to look at these sometimes uncomfortable things. Remember that He is more patient and gracious with us that we are and see what small thing you can do today (a mustard seed!) for His glory!
This is a wonderful article! Thank you! “A Jesus girl knows that turning to food in these situations won’t solve any of her problems. She shuts the pantry door and runs to her prayer closet.” This is such a great reminder. I am going to write it on an index card and put it on my desk at work.
Glad you enjoyed this, Jenny! And, I love your name 😉
Thank you Brandice for your Godward focus and encouragement! It is what I need as I have always struggled with overeating and trying to overcome it for the wrong reasons. In the summer of 2019 I realized it was truly a heart issue and did a Bible study and worked on a food plan and did ok. When Covid lockdowns hit I went out and bought sugar and other not healthy foods to ‘feel better’… obviously in the moment it felt pretty good but it is always a downward spiral and I am at a place where I would have completely given up … but God!!
My life is also very stressful and a lot of it is outside of what I can control… 3 boys including a child w special needs Going through puberty, we own a baby business and my husband has to do a lot of traveling! (Just to name a few)
God is good and I know there is a purpose in all this and this is definitely something I need to keep addressing with God.
I just get so overwhelmed when I think of even putting food together for my family some nights that making it nutritious and balanced a lot of times falls by the wayside.
I am planning to check out the Bible study and take one step at a time to get closer to my Heavenly Father.
Thank you! Michelle
You’re welcome, Michelle! It does sound like life is really busy right now. You may want to take a season to focus on portion sizes and hunger and fullness instead of trying to prepare all of the healthy food you desire to. I’m not saying that eating well is not important but that we only really want to work on one change at a time and it’s ok to start with portions. I find that when the progress comes from simply eating less, it’s so motivating that it makes preparing these lighter meals even easier. Check out these posts: https://www.gracefilledplate.com/eat-only-when-hungry/ and https://www.gracefilledplate.com/stop-eating-satisfied/
Thank you for direction, Brandice, and also for your encouragement! I will work through what you have sent me as I am able.
hey Brandice,
I feel like Jesus guided me to read this article.It was great!!!!This was a real problem I struggled with and I was asking help from God.Things in this article did a great help and I’m sure I will definetely win this challenge.Thankyou so much for writing this.
You’re welcome, Sajali! I’m glad that the Lord used it!
This article is wonderful! Thank you for sharing your heart.
You’re very welcome, Deanna! Glad you found it helpful 🙂
Another nugget of truth and grace, Brandice.
Thank you for cheering us on in freedom through faith!
Thanks, friend <3
I love Jesus with all my heart and I believe he will get me thorough this
Lord, show Kathy how to walk with you to Freedom!
Thank you, I am 59 and am struggling with this very subject. It is affecting my health and I have such guilt when I do it. I am going to go over this again and again to get the victory. God is so very good!
Hi Marsha, God’s timing is perfect and so glad you’re here 🙂
I found this today .. Very interesting & Inspirational !!
I do feel that I could go out & purchase a Princess dress just cause ..
So glad you enjoyed it, Brea! I love that 👗
This really helped me as I was so down on myself for constant overeating. I am starting to feel hopeless. I don’t want food to be an idol in my life. I want Jesus to be number one always.
I am so glad this helped you to spot the condemnation of the enemy! Yes, we want to repent but then the reminder of His unconditional love and forgiveness can fill us with hope and praise. God knew you would struggle, Donna, but He still chose YOU!