I have some good news for you...it is not sinful to enjoy food! Paul told Timothy that God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Enjoying food is biblical. We can have a piece of lemon pie, or whatever our favorite dessert is, and enjoy it and not feel guilty.
Here is another truth. Our eating should be a stage for the glory of God. God's Word tells us that in everything we are to bring glory to God, even in our eating (and drinking.) We were made for His glory and we are called to display His glory in everything we do. This then, includes eating.
So when does eating become sinful? When does our eating miss the mark at glorifying God? Eating becomes sinful anytime it becomes more about us than it does about the Lord. At the center of the story is the Lord. When He created us, He created us into His story. We were made for His glory and we are called to display His glory. We become glory thieves (a great term coined by Paul Tripp) in our eating when we turn our eating habits into making it about us. A thin person can eat sinfully just as much as the person who overeats.
Our calling as believers is to set our minds on things above. How we think directly affects our behavior. When all we think about is that next cookie or that we are too fat, we are being sinful because we've placed an idol in our hearts. We've made our eating about our glory.
Much more could be written about this. I will end though by saying let's humbly and honestly be examining ourselves in this area, and when the Holy Spirit graciously convicts us, may we confess our sinfulness, that we are being glory thieves, and may we put the Lord back on His throne, which is so rightfully His.
If this is an area in which you really struggle, there are brothers and sisters in the body of Christ who would love to come alongside and help. It is an area in our lives where we all miss the mark, every day. But as we give our thought life over to the Lord, when we set our minds on Him and His Word, replacing our sinful thoughts with biblical thoughts, and then act on them, our behavior will bring glory to the Lord and we will shine brightly as His images bearers.
Giving to the Poor
1 month ago
2 comments:
Hi Kathy,
You & your husband both have me chuckling about this men's study. I am in the process of putting God in control rather than gluttony and laziness. After my car accident, it was hard to get around for a while, but even before that I was not active enough to balance out the joy of eating in my life. God has put several doctors and physical therapists in my life lately to call me to the task of taking care of my physical body. My weight is not all that is up, my blood pressure is, too. So...with some accountability, I am one that needs to watch for the sin of gluttony. I also need to Keep this earthly temple healthier for service to my family and my Lord. Walking with a prayer partner has been a great help! Thanking God that I can have that piece of Lemon Pie (if I cut back somewhere else), is also helping. How true it is that we need to call sin what it is, and truly let God be Lord in our lives. Have a beautiful weekend! Awesome pictures of the baby!
Laurie
Hi Laurie!
Thankful to be one of His chosen, aren't you? Yes, we need to call sin what it is and put the Lord on the throne of our hearts in everything. Thankful for those He brings along to help us in all our processes.
I always love your comments. Thanks for dropping in.
(Love those grandbabies, that's for sure!)
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