How did you do this week? I did fairly well. I ate out a little too often {as my husband and I had some time alone this past weekend thanks to my parents} but I made good choices and did focus on not eating when I wasn’t hungry. I focused on ridding my pantry of excess and not falling victim to the sales at the store. It felt good to share some of our food with others and it also felt good coming home with less from the store.
Before we begin this week I would recommend reading 1 Corinthians 10.
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Idolatry. Idol worship. Whatever you want to call it, it exists. In today’s world our idols aren’t golden calves or marble statues. We create idols out of money, fame and power. Let’s not forget food. Food has become one of our biggest idols with advertisements and restaurants telling us we want more, need more and have to have more. Chefs have become celebrities and we’ve created entire networks around the watching of others prepare food. We’ve idolized food and those who prepare it while separating ourselves from what food really is.
We’ve come a long way in these past few weeks. We’ve embraced healthier habits and brought food back into our homes in a fairly old fashioned way. We’ve felt food, created dishes and embraced a meal from start to finish. We’ve taken a step back from the idolization of food and have instead embraced the idea that food is a gift of nourishment from God. It’s okay to enjoy it but we shouldn’t obsess over it.
Every day we wake up and have the choices to embrace life in a healthy way. Healthy living is more than just eating the right foods and exercising. Healthy living is about our whole bodies in action. It’s a function of the mind and soul, a desire to live in a way that honors the gift we’ve been given by God in our life here on earth.
This week our challenge is to live by this statement “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” As we go about our lives we need to remember that it’s not just the food that we eat but also the choices we make that formulate who we are as people. This week we will strive to make choices that are healthy for us. Whether it’s saying no instead of yes, offering to help someone else who’s struggling or just choosing to impact the world for the better, each choice has consequences. Each choice has significance. As you make your choices with food and life, do it all for the Glory of God.
Faith and Food Challenge:
This week as we head out into the world I have no real challenge for you food wise. You’ve done it all. You’ve focused on discovering when you were really hungry, added whole foods to your diet and sought to relieve yourself of unneeded excess. This week we need to believe that we are in fact living a healthier lifestyle. One slip up does not beat us down, we will prevail and ultimately succeed. We are reminded in the letter to the Corinthians that “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Temptation is out there but we can endure it. We can endure anything with God.
