Did Sunday's post make you uncomfortable? It did me. Does the idea of bringing our eating into obedience to Christ (as Tim suggested it might) seem like trifling to you? Aren't there more important sins to worry about? Isn't overeating one of the "respectable sins" for Christians; one we don't like to talk about? Aren't we supposed to enjoy God's good gift of food?
A simple study of the word gluttony (excessive eating) in Scripture will answer the first and second question. Each individual knows for herself when her eating goes beyond what she needs for good health. But food is not given to us only for survival. It is one of God's many gifts to be enjoyed.
In Scripture we see God's people enjoying feast days. We read of Jesus attending a wedding and eating with tax collectors. He must have eaten his fair share to be accused by the Pharisees of gluttony. But the accusation and the reality were two separate things entirely. Jesus knew how to enjoy food. He knew how to celebrate. He knew how to feast. Aren't you glad? But He was always in complete control. He always ate in a manner which glorified His Father.
In today's culture it seems every day could be a feast day. We have so much food available to us. The food options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (not to mention between-meal "meals") are mind boggling when compared to the simple fare of day to day life in Bible times. We have ingredients and every food from around the world available to us at the local supermarket or nearby specialty shop. We have a 24-hour food network channel, and countless food magazines all of which stir up our appetites to have yet one more feast.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love to feast. The problem is, I love to feast too much and too often. I love to be invited into the homes of fine cooks. I have a great appreciation for those whose pleasure it is to cook (remember I recently told you I'd only eat cold cereal if my family wasn't depending on me to cook). And although cooking is not my favorite part of my job description (Proverbs 31:15) I do enjoy trying new things from time to time.
The problem comes when feasting becomes a daily experience and I am eating way more than what is necessary for survival. On a day to day basis, my eating needs to be brought into submission to God's law. And even when I'm feasting, while I'm free to enjoy, I must not sin by crossing the line from liberty to gluttony.
For me that means as a general rule I follow portion guidelines. I don't lick the knife when making the kids a peanut butter sandwich. I don't eat something just because if I don't "it will go to waste." (I never did figure that one out. How is eating the last cupcake, which has absolutely no nutritional value, good stewardship if I've already had enough? Wouldn't it be better to let it go into the waste than into my waist?) I don't veer off the road for a quick bite here and a quick sip there.
Women who stay at home all day have unique food temptations. Women who work outside the home have their own set of temptations. Food is readily available wherever we are. Plus we are constantly being bombarded by advertisements for the hottest, the freshest, the sweetest, the creamiest....
How can we encourage one another in this area? I think one way is to bring it into the discussion of pursuing holiness. Let's not be afraid to talk about this with one another. We all battle the same desires. Can we help each other eat "to the glory of God" (Colossians 3:17)?
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
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4 comments:
Gayline,
Just wanted to take a minute to encourage you in these posts since it's not a generally a popular subject among us ladies. You are right on! There is a very small part of me that wants to honor God in this area, but like Paul, I tend to do the things that I don't really want to do instead of the things that I do (eating to the glory of God). I think part of the problem for me is that I don't think before I eat; I tend to believe the lie that what I'm eating will bring satisfaction when I should be seeking satisfaction in the Lord and His Word. In this way, I make food an idol in my life. :( Elyse Fitzpatrick's book Uncommon Vessels has been helpful in the journey towards holiness in this area of my life, but I sure do have a long way to go! Thanks for the encouraging posts to press on!
Warmly,
Elizabeth
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31, ESV).
I have found these last two posts to be incredibly helpful and convicting.
It is an area that I have struggled with for as long as I can remember.
To eat 'to the glory of God' is a lot harder than it sounds...esp. when we are surrounded with a culture that is abundant with food and encourages over-indulgence.
On the other hand, the temptation to extremely limit the intake of food is just as sinful and idolizes food just as much as eating too much.
Finding a balance between over-indulgence and over-restriction is so hard.
Elisabeth Elliot's book 'Discipline' is helping me work through this issue.
John Piper and Paul Washer are two preachers that also address the topic and whose teaching has greatly helped me my eating habits into submission to the Word.
I am glad that you blogged on this topic because it is sort of 'taboo' to bring up--probably because so many women struggle in this area.
Thank you for caring more about us than whether the subject would be received well or not. :)
Alas, I was raised in a family where it was a "sin" to throw away even a scrap of food. I still have trouble abandoning that notion sometimes... what a convenient excuse to gluttony it can be. Our Italian family gatherings through the years have been as much about food as anything else.
When my uncle took me out to restaurants as a 9 year old boy, he would actually become angry with me if I didn't eat enough. And my wife still marvels that the first question asked when we return from the restaurant (if my parents happened to be babysitting) is usually "what did you eat?"
And now, with a job title "Director of Food Service", I am the only one who can freely come into the kitchen at work and cut off several chunks of Prime Rib of Beef under the guise of "quality control."
My struggle for moderation is constant, but I have not given up hope of beating this (with the Lord's help). And now, pastor Tim's "joyful experiment" has me thinking daily about this again.
I would like very much to read the books Elizabeth and Robin recommend. Thank you for mentioning them. Thank you all for your encouraging comments. It helps to know that others are pursuing God in this area of their life. And it helps to hear what God is using to assist them in their pursuit. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works," (Hebrew 10:24)
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