Eating and the Gospel

by Dan Martin

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 )

Last week I visited my doctor for my annual physical. Unfortunately, my lab work reported my A1C had crossed the line, and I potentially have diabetes. It is likely my high A1C is directly related to my weight, and while not at an all-time high, my weight is entirely too high.

Maintaining a healthy weight supported by healthy eating habits has been a lifelong struggle. During my youth, I loved playing sports. When I look back at my intramural sports pictures, I see a tale of two seasons. In my baseball pictures, where there was no weight limit, I looked like the chubby kid from the Bad News Bears. On the other hand, when I look at my football pictures, where there was a weight limit, I did not look like the same person. I was a lean, mean fighting machine. Well, not really, but I was much thinner. One of my favorite intramural football coaches told me, "Dan, you will struggle with your weight all your life."  

Unfortunately, his prediction is accurate. Throughout my adult life, my weight has had drastic fluctuations. Many times, I experienced rewarding weight loss, only to see the weight return. I tried every weight loss program under the sun. They were often successful, but only for a short period. As a result, I've often wondered if lasting freedom from this sin is even possible. 

This blog results from deep personal reflection about me, God, and the good news of his Son's life, death, and resurrection. I hope that this personal reflection is not only an encouragement for me, but I also hope that it is an encouragement to many of you who have experienced the same struggles with maintaining a healthy weight.

Creation

Eating is a big part of God's story, as told in the Bible. After creating everything Adam and Eve needed for life, including food, God's first words to Adam and Eve were an invitation to eat. The first conflict between humanity and God was over forbidden food. Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine at a wedding banquet. Throughout Jesus' life, he spent a great deal of time at dinner parties, where he was reaching the lost, and just before Jesus' death, he shared his last meal with his disciples. Sharing a meal with others was one way Jesus accomplished his mission on earth. So, it should not be surprising that one of John's last visions from the book of Revelation is the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10), celebrating the completion of Jesus' work of redemption and restoration.

Scripture testifies that food is a good gift from God and enjoying a meal with others is a way of fulfilling The Great Commission.

The Fall

Recently, my wife and I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon meal with friends. As I sat down with my plate of food, one of my friends said, "Dan, is that all you are going to eat? You did not get that big by eating that little amount of food." While my friend's statement was somewhat hurtful, more importantly, his statement revealed the condition of my heart. The food scarcity on my plate was not the result of my wanting to limit my calorie intake; rather, it was the result of my being worried about what others think of me and how much I weigh.

Throughout my life, I've always felt intense pressure to perform well. I needed to be the best baseball player. I needed to be the best football player. I needed to make the weight limit to play football with kids my age (that did not always happen). In school, I needed to have the best grades. At work, I needed to be the best employee. As an employer, I need to provide the best place for people to work, and I need to provide the best services for our customers. At church, I need to be a good leader. At home, I need to be the best husband and father. All this to say, I've always felt this pressure to perform so that I could please others (parents, coaches, teachers, employers, employees, customers, wife, and children).

During my time of reflection, I realized that in so many facets of my life, I have determined my value by what people think about me. The truth is, I've never been the best at any of these things, and as failure came, my anxiety/worry increased, and I turned to what was comfortable – food. So, the fruit of my sin has been anxiety and worry, which was physically revealed through poor eating habits and weight gain.  

If anxiety and worry are the fruit or result of my sin, what is at the root?

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, believed the serpent's lie that they would be like God if they ate the forbidden food. But why? They functionally believed that God did not love them, care for them or that God would provide for them. Really, they believed God was a liar. So, they took matters into their own hands, thinking they knew better than God. I don't think the root of my sin is much different. When trials arise, and my anxiety grows, I forget that God loves me, cares for me, or will provide for me. Then I take matters into my own hands and take comfort in food instead of trusting God. 

Redemption and Restoration

How can real and lasting change occur in my life?

I don't need more behavior modification. It hasn't worked. I don't need another weight loss program. I've tried them all. I don't need more tools or strategies. I know them all like the back of my hand. I don't need another life coach. I already have a great one. I don't need a new exercise plan. I usually walk three to four miles per day. 

What I need to do is confess that I've always overeaten to comfort myself and escape all life's pressures. Especially those pressures to perform, please, and win approval. Therefore, I need to wholeheartedly examine the root causes of my poor eating habits and repent. I must repent of my misbeliefs that God does not love me or care for me during life's trials. I must repent of misbelieving that everything is up to me.

AND

I need to believe God loves me and cares for me. I know this is true because of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. I need to believe this gospel! I need to believe that Jesus faced all the same temptations I face, yet he was without sin. I need to believe he lived that life for me because I can't. I need to believe Romans 5:8, which reads, "…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I need to believe Jesus died for me to give me a new life now and forevermore. I need to believe Romans 8:35, which reads, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" The next time I underperform, and I will, I need to remember and believe how much God loves me. Finally, I need to remember Jesus' resurrection, where he defeated every sin, death, and the tempter – Satan. I have great hope because of his resurrection.

Because of this good news, I can trust God is always with me, loves me and cares for me. He is my comforter in my time of need, and He is better than any food.