Christians can be bound for heaven and stuck in strongholds at the same time. When we believe lies, they grow into strongholds that keep us from the destiny God wants for us. Teresa Shields Parker explores this in her sixth book drawn from her personal journey of losing over 250 pounds.
"We all have times when we believe things like I don't matter, I'm not valued, I can't go on, I am a failure, God can't use me and so much more," she says. "These lies helped me gain up to 430 pounds and kept me there for many years. Embracing what seemed like God's secret, mysterious truths helped set me free to surrender to Him completely."
This issue-focused memoir is relevant to any life-controlling issue we have including addictions of all kinds and issues with relationships, careers, shame, anger, food issues and so much more.
When we think we can't do without something it has become a stronghold in our life. Teresa found this to be true for her with foods made with sugar and flour as major ingredients. They became comfort foods which she used to alleviate any emotion she didn't want to deal with. These foods seem to call to her and she couldn't say no.
She discovered that she was a sugar addict, something she didn't even realize was possible. Knowing this helped her understand the gravity of her issue. She found that she couldn't overcome this on her own. She needed God's strength which would only come when she totally surrendered processed sugar to Him and let Him lead her on her weight loss journey.
God, though, doesn't want us to be captive to anything, much less a food substance. The mental strongholds that tell us we must have these things are what He wants to set us free from. They have become strongholds in our lives that He will help us break. The big question is, will we let Him?
Included in Sweet Surrender are action steps and questions to help you, the reader, learn the source of your strongholds and how to work with God to see them broken. This book will help transform you from the inside out.
