What we eat, how we eat is often a reflection of our inner self, and can relate and affect our relationship with our living God
What a strange combo! I was a bit confused when I first heard of it. Food is nourishment. Food isn’t a substance that you lose your sobriety in. Food is food. Something that people do in romance, as a celebration in families. Food is where people come together and often make memories.
Food has all these positives. Food is also our physical nourishment; oftentimes, we use it to heal, to relax. It replenishes our bodies and prepares us for the next day of work, and gives us the energy to get things done. Socially, food plays a massive role. It defines cultures. Almost all cultures can be identified by their style of cuisine.
So if food is so good and so distinctive, how can it relate to our relationship with God?
Confession time. I am a sugar addict. I know it. I love a sweetie or something chocolate, and I really enjoy salted caramel ice cream. A nice little snack, or a little craving. A little yearning for sugar. There’s the age-old sweet or salty debate. I err on the side of sweet. Those who are on the salty side might have a slightly different pattern in cravings or snacking, but it will be there nonetheless.
In Western culture, our propensity to seek comfort in food is higher than in many other cultures, and, unfortunately, it is due to our food culture. To unpack the evolution is a multibook tale that is better left to experts in the field; however, it is true that industrial agriculture and the corporate side of food production include processed foods, which, of course, include anything made with refined sugar, i.e., sweets, candy, chocolate, etc.
As with anything God created, it IS good, and its design was to be enjoyed by His creation. What sin does is take God’s good design and turns it into something perverse. We see this in every area of our culture, where it’s more obvious than in our food culture.
Marriage in God’s design is a beautiful covenant between one man and one woman, for life, in a physical representation of Christ’s relation to the church. Sin came in and created polygamy, same sex marriage, sex outside of marriage, which has become the norm, and a right of passage. A complete perversion of what was originally right and good. That is an obvious example; we can also see it in government and leadership. We can see it in the way the corporate world works, everyone stepping on each other to get somewhere. No one is working humane hours. No one is serving anyone other than their own agendas. Multi-million dollar companies fighting to pay minimum wage just so they can increase their profits further to an amount that they could never spend in a lifetime.
God has a good and perfect design for it all. Now we live in a sinful world. We know it, we can see it. So it’s not surprising that things have evolved the way that they have. The tragedy remains beyond heartbreaking.
How does all of this tie into food, you might ask? How often do we eat when we aren’t hungry? How often do we eat things that provide no nourishment to our bodies, and often do more harm than good? This isn’t about the odd thing here and there. It’s about joy, oh joy; finding comfort in what we eat rather than the God we serve.
Often when I am craving a sweetie, or I’d really like that piece of chocolate. It doesn’t have anything directly to do with the food. If I’m tired, I’d like more carbs or sugar. When I’m emotional, I like chocolate cookies. When I’m bored, I like to snack to pass the time. When I’m thirsty and don’t feel like water, I drink something that tastes a bit better.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying all sweet things are bad all the time, and it’s a sin to eat sugar. Not at all. Is there wisdom in looking at what’s in what you consume, probably. Some of those things are really just bad for you, and you can have a nice dessert, or sweetie, that’s made in a healthier way. It’s still not a sin, though.
So when is it a sin? We know greed is a desire of the flesh (the worldly part of us, that when we get saved, we start killing off and surrendering to the will of God; however, the process known as sanctification takes our whole life… literally). We know that seeking comfort in anything other than God Himself means that we are using escapism to deal with pain or discomfort in non-holy ways.
Food can be a form of escape. For many, it isn’t, and for many, it is. Especially when we don’t understand our emotions. When we feel shame over our emotions. Often it’s internal. It might be a struggle with depression. Often it’s when we feel alone. Food might feel like a friend sometimes. That chocolate cookie is always the same and usually brings the same amount of satisfaction.
We can also get addicted to food. We know addictions are not from God. They are footholds the devil uses to divide us from God, and prevent us from growing into the type of Christians that threaten his reign of terror on this earth. If he can get us to give him a foothold, we are not wholly focused on God, His will, and His Kingdom.
Yes, something that feels small, like getting comfort from your favorite snack, means you are not getting comfort from the ultimate comforter. That creates distance and keeps us from fully growing into who He created us to be. More importantly, it stops us from seeing ourselves as who He created us to be. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. I know that giving in to that craving usually leads to not feeling good enough because you weren’t strong enough to resist in the first place.
It may feel silly. It’s anything but. If it were someone finding their comfort in alcohol, everything would be obvious. We know the bible tells us to stay “of sober mind”. We know that if you can’t relax without one drink, even if it is just one, it means there’s a negative dependence. If it were smoking, it would be obvious. It’s difficult with food because of its central role in our culture.
It’s important to be reminded that there is no shame in admitting these things to ourselves and then to those around us. No matter what your dependence might be on. For some, it’s food. For others, it’s seeking acceptance and approval from people-“being liked.” Constantly working is another. Not being able to be alone is another. Most people have or had a way that they deal with pain or the journey of life.
When we choose Jesus as the savior of our lives, these habits and tendencies don’t go away by themselves. Sometimes there is radical deliverance after someone is baptized; that is usually when God wants to show something specific, but there will still be areas that are slow to grow and surrender.
The key to becoming more Christlike (which is the ultimate goal of being a Christian) is to be honest when you realize that you turn to something in certain moments instead of Jesus. Then you find someone you don’t mind sharing with, and you can pray together and bring it before the Lord. Then you carry on on your journey of not being dependent on anyone, or anything, for any form of peace or comfort.
Confronting ourselves in the mirror and seeing where we are weak is difficult because the devil uses our fear and shame of not being good enough against us. He uses our tendency to look at the people around us and compare ourselves.
There is no shame in Jesus. He loves every one of us just as we are. He wants the best for us and for us to find ultimate joy and peace. With Him we can. He is the Prince of Peace. The Psalmist says the joy of the Lord is his strength. We know we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.
We are also sinners. That is the reality. What we are given is the gift of being part of the process of becoming more Holy. Jesus doesn’t scoff at our pain. He doesn’t see us as lacking or insignificant. He doesn’t see our struggles, no matter how small they seem to us, as unimportant.
If food is your struggle. You are not alone. It’s something that I struggle with every day. I’ve had good periods and bad ones. I am coming to the point where I admit to myself that it’s more than just enjoying a sweetie. It’s not nice. It is okay, though. It’s okay to admit it, and then to surrender it, and Jesus will help me through the journey.
Whatever your crutch is. There is a God who wants you to be able to walk on your own so that you can run with joy and peace instead of shame and sorrow.
Be encouraged.
God bless.
