"You shall have no other gods before Me" Exodus 20:3.

"'Do not turn to idols...I am the LORD your God'" Leviticus 19:4.

"Idol worship? Me? Never!"

That's what I would have said if someone had suggested that I was putting my enjoyment for food before delighting in the Lord.

When we put someone or something ahead of God in our affections, we are creating an idol. In the area of food, my conscience was soothed by the excuses I made why I kept turning to food to change the way I felt instead of turning to God. I made food an idol in my life.

Idol Worship Not a Problem?

If you don't think this is an issue in your life, do what I have done: next time you have a craving for something to eat and you know your body does not need physical nourishment at that moment, say "No" to your flesh and turn to God instead.

You may be horrified at the battle in the mind which ensues. Or--you may have your flesh pretty much under control, but you'll notice thoughts about that particular snack or other food options keep coming to mind (as if the flesh is saying, "Okay, if I can't have that, let me have this!").

It's like disciplining a headstrong child. "No" is often not good enough--even when you add "because I said so, that's why!"

The apostle Paul understood about the necessity of disciplining the flesh. He said he kept his flesh "under" and made it his slave. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

The Amplified Bible enlarges (amplifies) this verse for us: "But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]."

Our flesh can be very persuasive, demanding and even seem to SCREAM when it doesn't get its way. Food manufacturers understand this part of human nature, often better than we do. Food commercials are meant to entice and cause us to take action, hopefully in the direction of the refrigerator, cupboard, local supermarket or fast food haven.

Question: Have you experienced sudden urges to eat certain foods?

If so, what has been your standard response when cravings hit?

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" 1 Corinthians 10:13.

God IS faithful. He has made a way for us of escape in temptation. Jesus said of Himself that He IS the way: "'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

He is the door and the way out of temptation--if we turn to Him and ask Him to save us. It's a wonderful thing to realize that our God is a Savior who always saves. Yes, He saves us from eternal separation from God when we submit our lives to Him--and He saves us in the everyday sense of the word, too.

Yet--"Ye have not because ye ask not," James tells us.

What is Idle Worship?

Unfortunately, I can see the road signs for "Idle Worship" almost every time I enter into praise and worship, or approach quiet time with the Lord in prayer or Bible reading. D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N hits. Suddenly ten things I "need' to do come to mind. Do I really need to do them? Perhaps. But do I need to do them NOW? Probably not.

I find my spiritual motor running on "idle" instead of worship.

The "Food god" Bit Me!

I may even have already entered into worshiping the Lord, at church for example, and sudden thoughts of lunch begin doing the Texas Two-Step across my cranium.

"Arrgh! What's wrong with me?" I moan. "Oh Lord, please forgive me!"

It's at times like this that 2 Corinthians 10:5 comes in handy: "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

I've actually been known to physically reach up as if grabbing the thought from my head and dashing it to the ground -- then squashing it with my foot for good measure!

Replacing the "vain," self-centered or "idle" thought with an empowering word from the Bible causes the fiery dart from the enemy to boomerang back at him. "I love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my mind and with all my strength. I love You, Lord and have NO other gods before You!"

Question: Can you remember a time when you asked God to save you from a problem or situation that ensnared you?

What happened when you asked God for help?

Do you think God can help you lose weight, overcome overeating and make some physical activity a part of your life? Some of us may think God can handle the "important stuff," but we're supposed to take care of the things of the physical world ourselves.

We may even think, "I got myself into this mess, so I've got to get myself out of it." That's one reason why God specializes in mercy. Aren't you glad? His mercy can reach even beyond His amazing grace.

The world abounds with well-worn platitudes such as, "You've made your bed. Now go lie in it." "Just use a little will power." "God helps those who help themselves" (No, that's not Bible, it's Poor Richard's Almanac, penned by Benjamin Franklin.). If we could help ourselves, we wouldn't need a Savior--and we definitely need a Savior. Yes, even in this area--especially in this area if we are experiencing temptation, torment and defeat.

Assignment for Victory...

Write in your journal or notebook your prayer request to the Lord. Ask Him to help you in areas of temptation. Ask Him to help you remember to run TO Jesus ("the Way" of escape) when tempted.

Decide that the next time you're tempted to run to "comfort food," you'll run to the Comforter instead of to the false comfort the idol of food promises. How? See below...

* Physical food can only fill and satisfy the physical body.

* Jesus, the Bread of Life, fills and satisfies us - spirit and soul.

* Is it physical hunger that drives you to the 'fridge, or a hunger of another sort?

* When tempted, follow this quick exit strategy:

Praise FAST! As quickly as you can, praise and thank the Lord for filling you to the full with His presence, love and power, so you may "know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 4:19).

Has this strategy helped you? Please let us know! Write to Laurette at praisemoves@gmail.com .

And now I'd like to invite you to get my free "Fit Favorites Devotional" and PraiseMoves FitNews. To get yours, go to

<http://praisemoves.com/>.

Laurette Willis ©2009

Christian Fitness Expert and author Laurette Willis is the Director of PraiseMoves

® Fitness Ministry, offering fitness programs, DVDs, books and instructor training for those interested in a Christian ALTERNATIVE to yoga, plus fitness for spirit, soul and body at <http://praisemoves.com> . To follow Laurette on Twitter, please visit <http://twitter.com/laurettewillis>, and Facebook at <http://facebook.com/people/Laurette-Willis/661158603>