God At the Center of My Eating Habits
Hold our Little Debbie, we're going all in on food. It's no secret that our culture has A LOT to say about how we eat. But it may surprise you that the Bible has a lot to say as well. If you've ever wrestled with the issue of food, if you've felt like you can't get your eating under control, if you wanna know how the Lordship of Jesus fits into this whole thing, today's episode is for you!
The Short Story:
We all have to eat food. It’s literally baked into our everyday lives 😋 Our society is big on eating correctly from a scientific standpoint. But should we be aware of moral standards concerning our eating?
What if God cares about how, when, and what you eat? How do you eat with God at the center?
How can we eat “for the glory of God”?
Eat like a satisfied person.
Have you ever started digging into a bag of chips to realize halfway through that you weren’t really hungry? You’re just stressed?
Too often we seek food for external and emotional comfort. We foolishly try to find physical solutions to a spiritual problem. Jesus tells us that HE is the solution for our anxiety, stress, and longings.
Good food gives us a taste of how wonderful and eternally satisfying our Savior is. HE is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) - not the cookies in our cupboards.
As we enjoy food, we should remind each other that Jesus is even better!! That feeling of satisfaction after a meal points us to Jesus! When we stop ourselves from overeating or fasting, we can remind ourselves that Jesus is where we get our lasting satisfaction - not food. Jesus is the bread that we need for our souls and the answer to our longings.
God gave us tangible things (yummy food) as reminders of the intangible (satisfaction through knowing God!)!
2. Eat like a dying person.
Our culture: Eat so that you won’t die. 💪
Us: Eat like you’re dying. 💀
Wait, hear us out…
Our society is obsessed with eating so that we can elongate our lives, avoid anything that could cause diseases, be in the best shape possible, etc.
Here’s the problem: WE are at the center of those messages. How do I make MY life the longest?
The reality is we ARE going to die (unless Jesus returns first!). No matter what we eat, we will experience death because it is a consequence of sin from the Garden of Eden (read Genesis 1-3 for that whole story).
Being fearful of death is not trusting God who is sovereign over all.
How do we put God back at the center? We don’t make food choices based on wanting a long life but rather a fruitful life. Eat to have a fruitful life, not a long one. Eat to have the energy to share the gospel with your neighbors. Food isn’t the thing to obsess over. Jesus is.
3.Eat like a missionary.
If you’re a guest, eat what’s served to you.
What does this mean? If someone doesn’t know Jesus and invites you over for dinner, you go! You eat what’s served. Why? Because they need to hear the gospel!!
It doesn’t matter if what they’re serving isn’t up to your standards. Food is an easy avenue to give space for conversation. Love your neighbor by sitting and eating with them. And as you're engaging, share what Jesus has done to change your life.
No one inviting you over? Have concerns about allergies? Here’s an easy solution: Always strive to fill all the seats at your dinner table. 🍴
Many souls have been saved at the dinner table.
Application questions:
What is the purpose of food? Is there more than just one purpose?
Are you eating food for spiritual hunger or physical hunger? Are you eating for any other reason than hunger?
How can you be physically hungry but spiritually satisfied at the same time?
How has this conversation pushed you to think outside of your comfort zone?
We challenge you to write down one takeaway from this episode on a note card and put it in your pantry. Take a pic and share it on social media. Tag us so we can see it!
Choose one of the verses from above and dedicate some time to memorizing it.
Want to ask us a question? Email question@clearlypodcast.com.
Our Recommendations:
Our sponsor: BetterMan.com
Bible study we mentioned: Weight Loss Bootcamp
👀 Watching: This clip from Jimmy’s junior high acting days
✝️ Learning: When eating is a sin
📖 Reading: The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
📖 Additional reading: Fasting & Feasting: 40 Devotions to Satisfy the Hungry Heart by Erin Davis
Wish you could ask questions in real time? Our Patreon partners join us live for every recording!