What Are You Craving?

Jen’s Gem: Heal your heart. Heal your life.

For many people, walking by the dessert cart can be daunting. Each ooey gooey sugary confection calls to them louder than its predecessor. Their sweet tooth shouts “Pick that one! Pick that one! Pick them all!”

I’m not saying I don’t have a sweet tooth, but it does not scream at me. I can walk by pies, cakes, and cookies and not feel compelled to take a swan dive. Instead, I have a salty tooth if such a thing exists. Passing by a display of chips, popcorn, or other crunchy snacks takes willpower and at times a fervent prayer to avoid overindulgence.

Everyone has a craving of some sort. Whether it is a physical craving such as food or otherwise, there are holes in our lives that we want to be filled. But what about those really deep holes? What about the holes in our hearts? How do we address these? Here’s what I have learned.

1. Identify the hole. You can only change something that has been named.

2. Figure out the root cause. Why is this happening? And if it’s a repeat performance, why? Repetition begs the question of “Why am I going around this mountain again?”

3. Take inspired action to change the situation, if in fact we really want to change it.

Let’s look at a simple example. Our stomach is rumbling so we know that we are hungry. Step one completed.  Next, we remember that we skipped breakfast, which is why we are ready to eat our arms at 2:00 pm. Step two completed. Lastly, we head to the fridge. Step three completed.

Ok. Maybe that was too simple.

I’m well aware that each of us is facing bigger issues than filling our bellies. Let’s look at an example where a trip to the cupboard won’t cut it.

We’re feeling out of control. Our lives are hot messes with too many responsibilities and commitments. We feel like an octopus with people, places, and things grabbing at our tentacles. Everyone wants something from us. We crave peace and quiet. We crave simple.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 NKJV)

Our first action is to identify the problem: lack of control.

Secondly, what is the root cause? This could be different for everyone. The inability to say “no,” the need to be a people pleaser, or the need for approval and acceptance. Perhaps it’s because we don’t know how to prioritize, or we’re trying to do everything ourselves and not asking for help.

Identifying root causes takes deep reflection and a willingness to be brutally honest with ourselves. What is our part? What have we done to contribute to the ongoing problem? This can be scary and painful, causing us to want to run to the dessert cart or the chip aisle to push the bad feelings down. Yet until the Band-Aid is ripped off, we cannot take action to fully heal.

Here’s the good news. We don’t have to do it alone. We have a Partner who will help us name the issue, figure out the root cause, and then give us strength to fix it. God is our Wisdom. God is our Healer. God is our Strength.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NKJV)

Whenever we are seeking to fill the holes in our lives, address our cravings, and heal our hearts, God is with us. How? Through His Son. Did you know that the name of Jesus, “Emmanuel,” literally means “God with us?” God did not design us to go through this life alone. Did He create Adam and Eve and then head south for the winter? Nope! He was with them every single day and He is with us, if we choose to let Him in.

We are partners with God. When we put Him into our empty spaces, He fills them. He satisfies the cravings. When we are honest about our part, He offers compassion and forgiveness. And when it comes time to make the necessary changes to heal, the Holy Spirit provides strength.

In my book, Finding God. Finding Me, I shared the many holes in my heart that needed to be healed. I write this blog whose tagline is “Heal Your Heart. Heal Your Life,” so that you can learn from my mistakes and be inspired to take action to live the life Jesus died for you to have. 

I don’t know what challenge you’re facing today. Maybe there are a few or maybe there are a lot. I want to encourage you to name it, identify the root cause, admit your part in the problem, forgive yourself (or ask for forgiveness if you’ve hurt someone), and then ask God to heal you. Rinse and repeat.

When we invite God into our hearts, we will experience the peace, joy, and hope our hearts are craving. (Tweet this!)

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