A Biblical Foundation for Eating
There are few tasks that we repeat three times a day. There are few activities that just about every type of person in the world enjoys doing. There are few things that can give us so much life and vitality...and also so much pain and turmoil. Of course I’m talking about food. Every nation, culture, family, and individual revolves around food to some extent. In ancient times, pretty much the only reason to work was to have food. In our modern-day world, we worry and stress about how we can get food faster, or how we can eat nutritiously so we don’t get cancer or diabetes. Although it often seems that life revolves around food, we as Christians should not put such a big focus on eating that it distracts us from the matters of Heaven. The Bible talks about food A LOT, but not nearly as much as it talks about life beyond this earth. I’m sure if you’re reading this you want to know how to take care of your body and you want to know what the Bible has to say about healthy eating. I would love to dive headlong into why God told Israel not to eat reptiles or the benefits of consuming milk and honey, but we first need to understand food’s rightful place in our lives. Let’s talk about what the Bible actually teaches about food and how we can balance eating well for our physical bodies while not over-spiritualizing the issue of food.
Do Not Worry
In About This Blog, I explain why I chose to build this blog on the foundation of Luke 12:22. Jesus tells us that He will always provide for our physical needs. If He cares enough to remember all the sparrows (Luke 12:6-7), to feed the ravens (Luke 12:24), and clothe the grass with lilies (Luke 12:27-28), how much more will He care for you? “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing...And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:22-23, 30-31)
Do I need to say more? God will feed you. So don’t worry!
Okay, I do have to say a little more. The context of this passage is in a time where people were worried about not having enough food. Not having enough to eat isn’t really the issue here in America. In fact, quite the opposite. We have too much food and we don’t know which foods are good for us or when to say “no”. Yet I still had to preface this blog with “do not worry.” Food-anxiety is a real thing and I’ve been there. My over-obsession with food started developing into an eating disorder which took years to fully recover from (read my story here). I don’t want you to fall into the same trap I did by over-analyzing your diet or being anxious about your health. Whether you are struggling to put food on the table or struggling to decide between ‘low-fat’ and ‘keto-approved’, the concept is the same: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Seek Him First: The Best Path to Health
I’m going to introduce a crazy thought:
When you obey God’s word you will automatically be healthier.
No, I’m not talking about all your aches and pains and illness magically vanishing when you give your life to Jesus. I’m saying that when you become more sanctified (more like Jesus), your physical life will improve alongside your spiritual life (see 1 Timothy 4:8). This is why Jesus said when you seek His kingdom, all these other physical necessities will be added to you. This concept might be easier to understand when we break down what it looks like to live for this world verses living for the Kingdom. Galatians 5:19-23 gives us a really good example of both. It says, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (ESV; emphasis added)
You don’t have to have a degree in public health to know that stuff like sexual immorality and drunkenness are bad for one’s health. Going one step further though, we see that sensuality can lead to over-indulgence in unhealthy foods. Our senses love the crispiness of deep-fried fair food, the smoothness of a hot fudge sundae, or the smell of cookies when they’re fresh out of the oven. But we should not give in to every whim of our senses. Instead, we need to rule over them and submit to the Spirit. Those who love don’t hog all the food to themselves. Those who are patient can wait until dinner before they go for an afternoon snack. Those who are good do not need to worry about the dangers of alcohol poisoning. And those who are self-controlled can say “no” to the cravings of their senses.
God Has Given You Wisdom
Here’s the thing: you know in your heart what is good to eat and what is not. God has given all of us a strong conscience. Carrot sticks and hummus is obviously better for you than potato chips and onion dip. In the cases where you don’t know which health choices to make, follow Proverbs 3:5-6:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.’ (NIV)
This might sound idyllic--“All you have to do is submit to God and you will know if you should go gluten-free!” You might not get such a cut-and-dry answer from the Lord, but you absolutely must start your health journey by asking the Lord for wisdom (see James 1:5). It says “in all your ways submit to Him”. This includes eating.
God Masterfully Designed Food
In addition to God’s way being best because He helps us be self-controlled and make wise choices, His original design for agriculture and farming is also best. I don’t want to get too deep right now into what this looks like in our industrialized world today, but as a rule of thumb, when you are eating fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat in their whole form, they are going to be more nutritious for you. God masterfully designed our ecosystem and food to be most helpful in their original, unprocessed form. In addition to getting more nutrients by eating whole foods, I’ve found so much joy eating whole foods because I can so clearly see God’s creativity and wisdom. I can see His creativity in the fact that there are SO many different varieties of produce. (It’s probably impossible to try them all!) I can see His wisdom in the way He makes all the nutrients in a food work together. Take an orange for example. Even though oranges are high in sugar, the amount of fiber in them actually lowers your blood sugar, making them safe even for Type 2 Diabetics to eat! (Szalay, 2019.) This would not be the case if you made them “un-whole” by juicing them or boiling them down into little fruit snacks. (Oranges have their own wrapper anyway--why even buy fruit snacks?!)
Food is Fun--So Enjoy It!
This is a good place to interject that God designed food to be enjoyed by His creation. I’ve heard countless stories of people who were depressed about food because they wanted to stop eating junk but they couldn’t find the will-power to do so. When they finally submitted to the way God designed for them to eat, they found so much joy in eating, cooking, and even grocery shopping! This was the case with my husband. He has always enjoyed being involved with food, but changing our diet to be more natural and balanced has made him so excited about making and eating healthy foods. (Yes, even salad!) I know you know a health nut or two who loooooves to talk about food. No, they didn’t get converted to the Cauliflower Cult or get shot with an arrow by Kale Cupid. They are just experiencing the blessing of feeling good because they are eating in the way that God had originally intended for people to eat.
That being said, we can even enjoy not-so-healthy food when we are following God’s will! Proverbs 24:13 says, “Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.”
Honey has a lot of health benefits, but that’s not why King Solomon told his son to eat it. What is the motivation? “...for it is sweet to your taste.” Eat it to enjoy it! But King Solomon also cautions us to not eat too much. Proverbs 25:16, “Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit.” In all things we have to have self-control. But nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4).
I’ve spent so much of my life feeling guilty for eating sweets at parties or having an occasional ice-cream date. This is not the Lord’s desire for anyone. Guilt and worldly sorrow brings death (2 Corinthians 7:10). Rather, God wants us to enjoy life. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 says, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.”
Receive the gift of food and enjoy the things God has given you! Just remember not to let your senses or fleshly desires rule over you. Remember that the way God created food is the best way to eat it and that we can have the blessing of feeling good and being excited about food when we eat His way. And finally, remember not to worry. Concern yourself with things of the Kingdom and everything else will fall into place.
Until next time, may the Lord grant you wisdom, freedom, and joy in your going out and in your coming in. Whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of the Lord!
Blessings,
Priscilla Matus
Reference
Szalay, Jessie. (2019). Oranges: Facts About the Vibrant Citrus Fruit. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/45057-oranges-nutrition-facts.html