Redeeming Food

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:1–5, ESV)

Love/Hate Relationship

I have to say that I have a love/hate relationship with food. 

I love to eat good food. I love a breakfast plate filled with eggs, toast, hash browns, and bacon. When I go for a walk and smell a neighbor grilling steak, a deep inner longing rises within me. I had a blast on my trip through Turkey and Greece, trying out the wide variety of foods in the different regions. Good food is a blessing from God. 

However, like many people I know, I hate that my health can suffer because of my love for food. When tempted with a plate of General Tso’s Chicken in front of me, I can often overdo it—eating too much, feeling too full, and gaining weight. I hate that this good gift can lead to bad things. 

Sin and Food

Like I mentioned in a previous post, sin takes God’s good gifts and uses them to bring death. Food is a gift from God. In fact our passage says, “Everything created by God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4), which includes food. So, food is a good gift of God. However, when sin gets ahold of this good gift, it leads us down a path of death and destruction. Literally, when we misuse food, our bodies no longer function properly, and we head toward death. This is serious stuff. 

Embrace and Rejection

There are typically two different responses to these types of struggles—embrace and rejection. 

There are some who want recognize that food is a good gift of God and embrace it fully. Actually, they embrace it too much. They justify their gluttony by saying they are enjoying God’s good gift. But gluttony is a sin. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. 

There are other people who reject God’s good gift. Obviously, we need food to live, which means we cannot completely reject food. However, some have turned food into a mechanical thing, saying “We need food to live and that is it,” refusing to enjoy this gift from God. They’re afraid that if they allow themselves to enjoy the food, they will overindulge. So they keep it at arm's length. This is not good either. It’s like refusing to use a Christmas present because you’re afraid you’ll break it. It doesn’t bring honor to the Giver. 

Redeeming Food

To redeem the gift of food from its captivity to sin, we need to use it in the way God intended. On the one hand, that means we must eat food in moderation to keep our bodies (another gift from God) healthy and capable of doing the work He has given us. On the other hand, it means we must enjoy food and repeatedly thank God for this beautiful gift—“nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). This brings glory and honor to God because we are using this gift in the way He has intended it. 

I have noticed that when I eat my food in moderation; I enjoy my food more. When I stuff my face like a pig, I don’t take the time to enjoy the tastes, I just shovel it in. Yet, when I know that I have a limited amount that I can eat for that day, I want to make every calorie count. So, I cook better food and savor every bite, thanking God for taste buds and His good gifts.