Do you ever feel like everywhere you look the news is bad? It’s also bad in our valley right now. Yesterday we had a major fire blow up in in the mountains and it looks like several structures have been burned. Many have had to evacuate their homes and a couple of our local churches have become homes for those who are displaced. This was the view from just down our street yesterday. When life is hard like this, it’s easy to get discouraged. And when we get discouraged, we often give into emotional eating. If you’re struggling with something difficult today, I invite you to renew your minds with me on the Christian Habits Podcast.   We’ll be going over the emotional eating questions, Bible verses, and tips from I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat). I’ve included the questions and Bible verses below but we’ll be fleshing them out on the podcast. Emotional Eating Questions What’s going on in your life right now that’s making you want to eat? What emotion are you experiencing? Will eating make you feel better? If so, for how long? Will eating solve your problems? Will eating create any new problems? Explain. What do your boundaries protect you from? Do you need protection today? What do you think God wants to teach you through this trial? Is there anything you need to accept? What can you thank God for in this situation? Emotional Eating Bible Verses Psalm 3:3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. Psalm 61:1-2 Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me? Romans 5:3-4 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Emotional Eating Tips  The telltale sign of emotional eating is that you feel driven to eat. You don’t just see a brownie on the counter and want it; you go looking for the brownie because you need it. Emotional eating is usually triggered by something else going on in your life, usually something bad. Sometimes the need to eat is all-consuming, and sometimes it’s just a nagging little thought at the back of your mind. The best way to break free from emotional eating is to get rid of the emotions that are driving you to eat. Ask yourself, “What emotion am I experiencing?” Then go through the questions and Bible verses for that emotion in I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat).  What usually happens when you take the time to work through the emotion is that your desire to eat will disappear. If you don’t take the time, that emotion has to go somewhere. Usually, it goes to the kitchen looking for something to eat. See also:  Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast. Click here for more info! Click here to view on iTunes. How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast The easiest way to listen is to subscribe to the Christian Habits Podcast. Each episode will be delivered as soon as it comes out. If you aren’t subscribed, it may take a few hours to show up on iTunes. If you have a smart phone, you can download an app to listen to them on your android or iPhone. New phones usually have the app already installed. To listen and subscribe on iTunes: click here To listen and subscribe on Stitcher: click here To listen to past episodes: click here to view on iTunes or see a list of episodes here. P.S. I mentioned in my last email that I was going to post a podcast on boredom eating today but in light of our local struggles, I decided to post a podcast I recorded a couple of weeks ago on emotional eating instead.   The post 28: Help for Emotional Eating: Bible Verses & Questions appeared first on Barb Raveling.