Food Bondage

Last week, I wrote a post where I explained how God wanted me to get rid of my own list of “ways to eat and live healthily” and trade it for His list of “Seek God’s face & Rest in Him.” You can read it HERE if you’d like.

I’m holding onto that truth but at the same time, my brain is really messed up when it comes to food. I am constantly having to fight food thoughts – Should I eat that? Is it ok? I’m failing if I eat that. I ate too much today. I didn’t drink enough water today. I am constantly plagued with these thoughts. Constantly. So I keep giving it to God. I’m working hard to capture the thoughts as they come, give them to Jesus, and remind myself to rest in Him.

It’s a bit exhausting but I know that one day I won’t have to capture every single thought about food because I will be trusting and resting in God and it won’t be the issue that it is currently.

God isn’t leaving me to my own devices though. He prompted me to start reading in Romans and what an amazing book it is! And how amazing is it that the bible is the LIVING word of God and God can use it to reach us in the exact space we are at? Someone else could read Romans and God would use different verses to reach them on different topics, yet for me, for me, He brings out the verses about… food. Yes, food!

Not just food, but also about how living up to our own lists and expectations is the opposite of what God wants from us! Romans is full of messages about how it’s not what we bring to God, but what He gives to us! Continuously God says to stop trying to live up to a list of rules – do this, don’t do that. Instead, embrace God! Trust Him! Rest in Him! It’s He, Jesus, who does the hard lifting!

So I know you’re wondering, Ok, but what does God say about food?

A little background, in Romans chapter 14, Paul (the writer) is speaking to Christians about not trying to impose their rules on other Christians. God’s journey is different for all of us and what is right for one person may not be another person’s journey. It’s not our job to decide what is right for anyone else. We are to listen to God and do as He tells us to do and to not then try to impose those same things on others.

Some believers were bickering over what food was acceptable to God and what was unholy. And Paul is telling them to stop. That’s not what God is worried about.

When I read the verses, although I do understand the context, I cannot help but hear God speaking to me through these verses. Instead of other believers telling me I’m wrong in what I eat – it’s my own mind, my own flesh, lies from the enemy trying to beat me down based on what I eat. But hear what God has to say:

^15-16 If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!

^17-18 God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. 

Romans 14:15-18

I don’t think God can be any clearer!

It’s not a matter of what I eat, for goodness sake! God sets my life right, puts it together, completes it with joy… and my job is to serve Christ.

End of Story.

My job is to seek God’s face, rest in Him, serve Him. I do not have to live in bondage to thoughts about food! And how about this:

But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

Romans 6:17-18

Freedom from food thoughts! Freedom from feeling guilt and shame! Offer myself to the ways of God – and freedom never quits! Yes! Thank you, Jesus!

And this verse from Romans!!

^22-23 But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

Romans 6:22-23

A whole, healed, put-together life right now with more and more life on the way… by listening to what God tells me to do!

Thank you, Jesus, for being an intimate part of our lives. You know our struggles and you bring light to those areas. You see where we are floundering and you bring truth to the lies. Thank you for being so involved. For being so loving. For giving us tools to fight what we need to get rid of. Let us continue to bring our struggles, cares, worries, shame, and confusion to You, Jesus. Help us to capture every thought and turn it to You and base our thoughts on Your words and Your truth. You are a good, good God. Thank you! In Jesus name, Amen.

(To be clear, and as a side note, I don’t believe these verses give us the right to indulge in gluttony, binge eating, and overall disregard for the care of our body – God does say we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, we should not be in bondage to thoughts that hold us captive and that bring guilt and shame. Shame is not from God! Bondage is not from God. Freedom is!)

May you be so blessed today and able to see and notice the blessings!