1 Corinthians 10:31

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 6:19

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

The “diet” industry is a gold mine in American culture. Books, pills, eating plans, and infomercials are all best-sellers and nearly every supermarket magazine touts the next best way to lose weight. But how did obesity become such a problem for our country?

Some of the best Christian diet literature points out that Americans tend to use food like a drug. In other words, by filling our stomachs we attempt to “fill up” what is lacking in our lives. Maybe that explains why, in the United States, the number one cause of early death is the misuse of food (i.e. overeating, poor diet, lack of exercise).

We have already learned this week that God cares about our bodies… which means that He cares about what we eat. That certainly doesn’t mean that it is a sin to stop at your local fast food restaurant, or to have an extra cookie, or to indulge in a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut. God must have intended that we enjoy food – He obviously gave us the sense of taste for a reason!

But just like everything, the enjoyment of food can cross an unhealthy line. Many people allow the love of food to take such a hold of their lives that they become ruled by their stomachs – following their own carnal desire for food above everything else. When that happens, food becomes an idol! 

Remember God cares about your body, and He cares about your heart too. If you have allowed food to occupy an unhealthy place in your life, it is time to get help. Honor God with your body… and seek only Him with your heart. Let that “food for thought” fill you today.