The Daily CHEW™
CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
This morning I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror at 3:30 AM—360 pounds staring back at me in the harsh light. As a driven firstborn who’s built businesses and helped other high performers overcome private battles, I had to face a sobering reality: 26 years of trying to master food through willpower, plans, and self-discipline had failed. Again.
Maybe you know this frustration—excelling professionally while privately battling a stronghold that feels impossible to break. Maybe it’s not food for you. Maybe it’s that secret addiction you’ve managed for years, the marriage patterns you can’t seem to shift, or the emotional cycles that keep sabotaging your best intentions.
Here’s what I’ve discovered after years of helping Christian leaders move God’s love from their heads to their hearts: our deepest struggles aren’t willpower problems—they’re stewardship problems. And when we approach them as faithful stewards rather than failed self-managers, everything changes.
Why Stewardship Changes Everything
Most of us treat our bodies, our relationships, our private battles as if we’re the owners trying to get control. But 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reveals a different reality: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
This isn’t just nice theology—it’s transformation science. When we shift from “I need to control this” to “I need to faithfully steward what God has entrusted to me,” our entire approach changes. We’re no longer striving to prove our worth through performance; we’re responding to love that’s already secured our worth.
The research on identity-based behavior change backs this up: people who root their habits in “who I am” rather than “what I want to achieve” show three times higher success rates for lasting transformation. But when that identity is anchored in Gospel truth—”I am a beloved steward of God’s temple”—the power multiplies exponentially.
The Battle Your Willpower Can’t Win
Here’s the brutal truth I had to face: after 26 years of food addiction, willpower wasn’t just insufficient—it was working against me. Neuroscience research shows that long-term addictive patterns create permanent neural pathways that operate below conscious control. My attempts at discipline were like trying to stop a river with good intentions.
But here’s where stewardship thinking becomes revolutionary. Instead of fighting the addiction with more willpower, I began asking different questions: “What core beliefs are driving this compulsion?” “How does God see this temple He’s entrusted to me?” “What would faithful stewardship look like in this moment of temptation?”
This isn’t about adding religious language to the same old self-help strategies. This is about discovering that God’s love provides both the motivation and the power for transformation that willpower never could.
The Four-Part Strategy That Works
After extensive research and testing, here’s the stewardship strategy that’s showing remarkable potential for high-performing Christians facing stubborn strongholds:
1. Biblical Identity Integration
Instead of “I am someone trying to lose weight,” the new identity becomes “I am a faithful steward of the temple God has entrusted to me.” This isn’t just positive thinking—it’s Gospel truth that rewires how we approach every food choice, workout, and moment of temptation.
Research confirms that Christians who ground identity change in biblical truth show superior outcomes because they’re drawing on spiritual resources secular psychology cannot access.
2. CHEW Methodology for Belief Transformation
The core beliefs driving our strongholds must be excavated and replaced with Gospel truth. The CHEW framework—Confess what’s really happening, Hear God’s truth, Exchange lies for God’s promises, Walk in new actions—provides a daily rhythm for this transformation.
Morning CHEW (5-7 minutes post-workout):
- Confess: “Lord, I bring my body to You as a living sacrifice. I confess any areas where I’ve treated this temple carelessly.”
- Hear: Daily focus on one characteristic of God’s love—”Your love is faithful/patient/gentle/strong”
- Exchange: “If I really believed God’s love is faithful and He’s committed to my complete transformation, how would that change my approach to temple stewardship? I exchange the lie that I must control this through willpower for the truth that God’s faithful love empowers my stewardship.”
- Walk: One specific stewardship action—”I will honor You with my next meal choice.”
Evening CHEW (During hunger moments):
- Confess: “Father, I acknowledge these cravings rising. I confess any beliefs driving me toward food as comfort.”
- Hear: “Jesus said ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from God'” (Matthew 4:4)
- Exchange: “If I really believed God’s love is satisfying and more filling than any food, how would that change this hunger moment? I exchange seeking satisfaction in food for resting in the satisfying love of God.”
- Walk: “I will drink water, pray Scripture, and trust God’s strength.”
3. Structure That Serves Stewardship
God is a God of order, and faithful stewardship requires structure. For my food stronghold, this meant:
- Bright Line Eating protocol: Clear boundaries that honor the temple rather than flexible guidelines that enable compromise
- Daily cardio AND weight training as worship: 30 minutes elliptical plus resistance training becomes morning/evening offerings, not just weight-loss strategies
- Sacred meal timing: Three meals become three opportunities for grateful stewardship rather than constant food decisions
Why Both Cardio and Weight Training Matter: Research shows that “resistance training rejuvenates aging skin by reducing circulating inflammatory factors and enhancing dermal extracellular matrices” while “specifically increasing dermal thickness.” Weight training is actually more crucial than cardio for preventing loose skin during major weight loss.
4. Community Accountability
Stewardship was never meant to be solitary. The CHEW system works best when practiced in community. Weekly sharing with two other men committed to stewardship provides the encouragement and accountability that private willpower cannot sustain.
Why This Strategy Shows Such Promise
The research convergence suggests remarkable potential:
- Bright Line Eating eliminates food cravings by week 3-4 (removes biological drive)
- CHEW replaces the psychological beliefs (removes mental drive)
- Biblical identity anchors the spiritual foundation (removes spiritual emptiness)
- Community provides social support (removes isolation factor)
Together, these elements create what research suggests could be significantly higher success rates compared to willpower-based approaches for severe strongholds—though more controlled studies are needed to confirm specific percentages.
Your 60-Day Stewardship Protocol
If you’re facing a stronghold that willpower cannot master, consider this Gospel-centered approach:
Days 1-10: “Emergency Consecration”
- Receive this as God’s gift of structure—like the guardrails He provides in Scripture. God’s love works through boundaries that protect rather than restrict.
- Daily morning CHEW establishing “I am a temple steward” identity
- Evening CHEW during moments of temptation
- Trust that His loving limits serve your freedom from the stronghold
Days 11-21: “Mind Renewal”
- CHEW becomes automatic daily rhythm
- Core belief patterns begin shifting
- Community accountability deepens
- Identity integration strengthens
Days 22-60: “Walking in the Spirit”
- Walk in the freedom God’s structure provides—just as the temple had specific dimensions that enabled proper worship, faithful stewardship follows God’s loving design
- Deeper belief excavation through EMDR or counseling if needed
- Physical/emotional transformation as testimony
- Community celebration and multiplication
The Greater Purpose
Here’s what I’m discovering: when we approach our strongholds as stewardship opportunities rather than personal failures, transformation becomes worship. Every meal choice becomes an offering. Every workout becomes a gift. Every moment of victory becomes testimony to God’s faithfulness.
This isn’t about achieving the perfect body or life—it’s about experiencing God’s love so deeply that faithful stewardship flows from grateful hearts rather than guilty striving.
Join me for a CHEW right now:
CHEW in 5 Minutes:
Take three deep breaths, remembering God’s love is present now.
Adore: “Father, You love me right now, before any transformation happens.”
Confess: “What stronghold am I facing that feels impossible to break? What’s the deeper ache beneath my struggle?”
Hear: Consider these truths:
- “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
- “His divine power has given us everything we need for godliness” (2 Peter 1:3)
- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
Exchange: “If I really believed God’s love is powerful and He has already given me everything I need for godliness, how would that change my approach to this stronghold?
- I would exchange _________ for _________.”
Walk: What’s one small act of stewardship I can take today as a response to God’s love?
Thanksgiving & Worship: Thank God that transformation is His work, not yours—and He’s already begun it in you.
Remember This
Stewardship-based transformation isn’t instant, but it’s sustainable. Every honest return to God is a victory. God delights in your trust and faithfulness, not your perfection or emotional breakthroughs.
The core beliefs driving your stronghold may have developed over decades—give God time to excavate and replace them with Gospel truth. Focus on daily faithfulness rather than dramatic transformation, and watch Him work in ways willpower never could.
CHEW On This™:
If I really believed God’s love is the power source that enables faithful stewardship of my body, relationships, and private battles, how would that change my approach to the stronghold I’m facing today?
The CHEW system works best when practiced in community. Consider introducing these practices to your team, family, or small group. Share what changes when you create consistent rhythms for moving God’s love from head to heart—not just in private moments, but in the full scope of your leadership and relationships.
Select Resources:
- SALVES: Discovering and Redeeming the Core Drivers of Every Heart
- Scripture for Common Struggles & Growth
Want More?
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Ready for lasting transformation? Learn how to make CHEWing a daily rhythm. Our hope is that everyone can learn to CHEW without ever needing to pay us for help.
If you have a question about the CHEW practice or hit a roadblock you can’t solve, we’re happy to help with quick guidance. Reach out anytime at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help you keep growing!
With you on the journey,
Ryan
CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
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