What is God’s design for eating?
by Bill Blair on 16/07/08 at 5:10 am
Have you ever wondered why God designed us to have to eat? Obviously, God could have designed us to function in any way, but for some reason he chose to create us so that we have to eat. Below is an exerpt from my recent gluttony paper where I briefly explore what God’s design for food was all about.
Excerpt Below:
The Bible calls God’s people to not only put off sinful behaviors, but to always put on righteousness in its place (Eph 4:22-24); therefore, it is important to understand exactly what God wants us to put in place of lustful eating. Understanding God’s plan for eating will free us from the bondage of sinful eating because we can fully focus our attention on obedience to God.
All Food is Good. The first thing to consider about God’s perspective on food is that everything God has created is good. In God’s eyes there is no such thing a “bad” food. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim 4:4). This passage suggests that it is not the food, but how we receive that makes it bad or not. Jesus confirms this point when he says: “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matt 15:11). Thus, it is not the food that is unclean, but the heart. In application, we can see that all foods are good, but the abuse of them through overeating is not. The only exception to this is if certain foods cause a person to lose control and overeat. In this situation, a person should seek to keep them away “and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:14).
Food is for Nourishment. The most obvious aspect of God’s plan for eating is that food was created for the nourishment of man. It is obvious that if anyone goes without eating, they will eventually die of starvation; therefore, God designed eating to be the means by which our bodies are sustained. The Bible teaches us to limit our intake of food: “If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it” (Prov 25:16). Dr. Robert Smith explains: “The guideline is to eat only what you need so you do not waste the food.”[1] The key instruction from this proverb is that when we eat, we should only eat the amount of food we need for energy, and to maintain proper strength. Anything beyond what we need would be wasteful, and thus, sinful.
Food is for Enjoyment. God did not design eating as some ascetic exercise that we do only to sustain life, God created food to be enjoyed. God graced us with the wonderful gift of taste so that we can enjoy our daily sustenance. The Scriptures state: “Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry hear, for God has already approved what you do” (Eccl 9:7). This is a command to enjoy food, but the fact that people enjoy food can be seen throughout the Bible. Eating is used as means of fellowship in the Scriptures. Jesus often ate with people, and even cooked for the disciples after the Resurrection (John 21:9-12). The Bible is full of examples that show people enjoying food in fellowship; therefore, it is one of God’s purposes for people to enjoy food.
Food is for Dependence. Finally, God’s design for eating is to show us our dependence on God. God could have created our bodies to function in anyway. God chose to make our bodies so that we continually need to eat in order to live; therefore, we are dependent on God’s grace to provide for our daily needs. God utilized this daily need as a test of Israel in the desert by providing them with only enough manna for one day (Exod 16:4). Israel was forced to be totally dependent on God because they needed food every day. Jesus also included in his model prayer that we should ask God to “give us this day our daily bread” (Matt 6:11). This command causes the believer to “recognize that all sustenance for one’s life comes from God.”[2] When we see our dependence on God to provide us with our daily sustenance, it is much easier to be truly thankful for the food we have, and not lust for the food we may be craving.
[1] Robert D. Smith, “God’s Word and Your Health,” 17.
[2]Craig Blomberg, vol. 22, Matthew, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1992), 119.
Judges' Chambers
Jul 16th, 2008
There is this book called Body by God. Probably a third of the book is on nutrition and eating in a manner that God designed us for. In the book the author suggests that there are “Foods by God”, those foods created by God for our nourishment and enjoyment, and “Foods by Man”, those foods created by man which aren’t necessarily nourishing but definitely provide temporary enjoyment. I don’t have the book or you could borrow it but it does a good job I think of illustrating how “Foods by Man” aren’t healthy for us and how we can be more nourished by slowly altering our lifestyle to eating more “Foods by God”.
Bill Blair
Jul 16th, 2008
Interesting. The thing with gluttony is that it is not an issue of food, but an issue of the heart. Essentially, a glutton is bent on self-satisfaction rather than glorifying God. They seek satisfaction in eating that they can only get from God. I tend to think that if we are going to be gluttonous, then we will do it with any food, or maybe find something else to attempt to satisfy desires.
It is interesting to think that we might be creating foods to satisfy our lust for food(foods by man as you describe it). People certainly get very creative with creating new ways to satisfy sexual lusts, so why not the same with food? All you have to do is check your junk email folder an you will see latest in advertisements for improved sexual satisfaction; people get creative in their sinning. If that is the case, maybe the Food Network is the Playboy for gluttons. Good thoughts!