rebelling against low expectations

Why is it important to think about how we eat?

By Discussion Questions
July 26, 2016
85 comments
W

J. WRITES: In the past year I’ve really become concerned about what I eat. I believe I have a Christian responsibility in eating as healthfully as possible – not that I never eat sweets. Some Christians disagree, though. And there are so many arguments about what to eat. Vegetarianism? Veganism? Sugar? Fat? My question is not what should I eat, but how can I think about food in a godly manner?

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  • I would say that it’s important not to obsess over what you eat. It’s definitely good to try to eat a healthful diet, but don’t idolize (constantly worry or think about) your health/diet. On the other hand, don’t be greedy and always think about what you’re going to eat. God did give us food to enjoy (think of all the feasts he ordained for the Israelites!) but we shouldn’t give it an undue amount of our thinking space.

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  • I agree with Heather: don’t idolize food, but don’t be a glutton. I try to keep everything in balance–yes, I eat candy and dessert fairly often, but I also make sure that I’m drinking water and eating lots of fruits and green vegetables. 🙂

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  • Really, God gave us food as nourishment. Its just kind of a bonus that it tastes good. In order to serve him best though, its good for us to keep healthy and physically fit!

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  • Well, we know bodily training is of some value (1 Timothy 4) but it’s not everything. Knowing and serving God is everything. So if the two conflict, like if you’re at a birthday party and it’s rude not to eat cake, choose kindness.

    Another thing is that health isn’t an end in itself. I do a lot of bodyweight training and we always say “Be strong to be useful”. The healthier you are the better you can serve.

    And always let your food drive you to thankfulness. It’s amazing thing that you’ve been given enough to eat, even choices of what to eat. Don’t take that for granted, don’t waste it, and God will be glorified.

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  • I think it is important to think about how we eat because like many of the pleasures God has given us food can get blown out of proportion and become an idol. In no way have I mastered this thinking. Food has for a long time been a distraction and challenge for me to master. Like @disqus_8Tzn08gHi3:disqus said I think it is about balance. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve been the super healthy runner/ won’t eat anything ‘bad’ for me and I’ve been the glutton/eats everything with sugar in sight. There’s a balance between the two and I think we have to think of food as a gift God has given us to enjoy, but also as a threat that could distract us from Him. In a culture that is on an extreme health kick we have to see the pros and cons in a Biblical light. When I was being super healthy I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons. I was doing it for attention and my own vain attitude. It also caused me to judge others who didn’t have the same food convictions. I think a lot of it depends on how you know yourself. You know your own temptations best and how they could distract you from your one true purpose of glorifying God with your life.

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  • I think there are two things to keep in mind.

    The first is that food matters to God. A lot. The first sin happened over forbidden fruit, the last supper over bread and wine. God wrote an entire law for the Israelites on how their food separates them. God’s covenant with Abraham involved a cow. Laws were written around priests eating parts of sacrifices. When God wanted to show his faithfulness to his people in the wilderness, he gave them food (manna), and when he wanted to show them his anger he killed them with food (Numbers 11). Jesus’ first miracle involved food, as was perhaps his last (Luke 24).

    How then should we approach it?

    Food, like everything, must be subject to Christ. If how you eat food prevents you from fulfilling a calling in some way, then it is a problem. For instance, if a man is too overweight to effectively help out in the church, then it is a problem. If a man is married, another dimension is added: he has an obligation to be sexually fulfilling to his wife, and how he eats can get in the way of that. The same goes for a wife as well. Are you eating habits getting in the way of what you’re supposed to be doing? Then it’s a problem.

    These are the negatives. The positives are awesome. God created food for us to enjoy. So enjoy it. Have a feast like the Israelites did. Try something new. Take some cooking classes. Obedience to Christ is also enjoying the things that he made for you.

    I don’t eat a whole lot of sugar. My friend doesn’t eat meat. My little sister eats everything. And we all enjoy food to God’s glory and for his kingdom.

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  • What your eating and how much you eat are very different things. I am not a vegetarian, though I do eat fruits and vegetables often. I think it is wrong if someone is eating something constantly. It’s harming your body. Gluttony is considered a sin. You are not taking care of your body like you were meant to. WHAT I eat is not very important, only if you are eating too much is something to be concerned about.

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  • God created all foods. Fats, carbs, you name it. He gave us dominion over food. We just have to be sure food doesn’t gain dominion over us. We are also given freedom so let’s not be legalistic 😄

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  • I think as long as we’re putting good things into our body, we should not be worried about what we eat. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we should care for it, making sure it’s healthy. Eating too much or too little is not the best idea, but every once in a while it’s okay to splurge and have some fun.

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  • Scripture tells us that our bodies are temples of Holy Spirit, so we should certainly take good care of them. I do think food is meant to be enjoyed, though, so we don’t need to convert to a diet that requires us to eat lots of things that don’t appeal to us. Find ways to eat healthy and enjoy doing it. There are many recipes out there that use healthy ingredients to make very good food. You’d be surprised–there are great createve ways to eat your veggies! 😉

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  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

    “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

    Well, I would say that since our bodies are God’s temple we shouldn’t eat what we want. We shouldn’t just sit around watching movies while stuffing popcorn into our faces…..but then that isn’t necessarily edifying, now, is it…..but that’s a whole other topic….let’s not go there! XD

    We don’t want to become gluttons because this hinders us from keeping our bodies temples of the Holy Ghost. Proverbs 23:21 says “The glutton shall come to poverty.” Now we wouldn’t want this to happen to us, now would we!?
    When it comes to food we need to make sure it’s not hindering us from serving/doing the work and the will of the Lord. This would be an issue. It shouldn’t be a distraction and it shouldn’t be an addiction. What we eat should be eaten in moderation. We shouldn’t be gluttons and just pig out whenever we get the chance! Moderation. (except for the coffee lovers)—> Okay, Just Kidding…this applies to us too. 😉

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  • Like others have said, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. I know that I want to be able to serve God with my best, so I try to eat with health in mind. As I get older this takes more effort! I try to listen to my body (not my emotions) and eat what makes it feel the best. I try to avoid GMO’s, sugar and empty carbs, I have to avoid wheat and gluten. I try to eat a lot of protein and greens because they make me feel the best. God does care what we eat. Ask him for knowledge and wisdom and He will give it to you. God Bless!

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  • Our bodies are gifts from God and we must treat them as such. I’ve been taught to “eat meat sparingly,” no caffeinated beverages, no coffee or tea (except herbal tea), and to exercise regularly. No harmful substances should be applied or taken into the body. They are gifts from our Divine Creator and need to be treated that way. We are, after all, created in the image of God. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27)

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By Discussion Questions July 26, 2016
85 comments
rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →