When I became a wife and mother I had new reason to obsess: the very nutrition and health of my family depended ON ME!!! Every morsel that passed through their lips could either destroy their bodies and health or even poison them, give them cancer, etc! I was not going to fail them.
For 7 1/2 years I have studied nutrition. If you go back through the archives of this blog, even recent posts, you will see how many times I have blogged about it. But friends, recently I was very nearly driven to despair. Because here's the thing. I'm so sorry to tell you this.
THERE. IS. NO. PERFECT. DIET.
Vegetarians. Vegans. Primal. Paleo. Low Fat. Low Carb. South Beach. Atkins. Whole Foods. Weight Watchers. Raw Foodists. *Insert others here*.
So far other than Elijah and Enoch we know of not a single person that has escaped death. So far no food has been able to keep our physical bodies from death.
Then there's the "our bodies are temples of the Lord" argument. We MUST take the absolute BEST care of our bodies that we can, while we can, despite the end we know awaits us all!
But are you taking it too far? Do you obsess about food? Do you find yourself thinking about your diet all day? Do you have a bad day and convince yourself that your bad feelings, emotions, tiredness, etc are because of "cheating"? Do you meet someone at the grocery store or a restaurant and automatically want to tell them about their poor food choices and why yours are better? Do you think you are better than others because you are so superior in your health and ability to abstain from fleshy tasty temptations? Do you think you are sinning if you don't eat according to your diets restrictions?
I recently emailed a friend on a night of absolute despair. I could have answered yes to all of the above questions on that day...esp the last one. I was sobbing as I emailed her and explained that I didn't even want to eat anymore because food...all food...FELT SO WICKED.
Her response floored me.
It is wicked. All of it. It is wicked because it is on a wicked earth. A wicked, dying, and diseased earth. A broken earth. A sin-filled earth. An earth that every single day gets sicker and sicker in its death march. In her words, "our poor, dear earth is dying even as we die..." And as a result of that death our food too is dying. Soil is not as rich, plants are not as strong against bugs, and nutrients are diminishing. Every. Single. Day.
"And He said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
(Matthew 15:16-20 ESV)
There is nothing new under the sun. We are all and have all always been food obsessed. Self obsessed. Health obsessed. Obsessed with making laws not in Scripture for others to follow. If we are the law givers that means we have authority. Perceived authority that is.
IT IS NOT FOOD THAT CAUSES LACK OF HEALTH.
IT IS NOT FOOD THAT CAUSES EVIL AND DEATH.
IT IS SIN.
But there is ONE food and drink that grants LIFE. There is ONE food and drink that is NOT affected by sin in its ability to grant, sustain, and give life and healing and forgiveness. It is our Dear Lord Jesus Christ's own Body and Blood given for you. Eat, drink, and have life.
Every day that we have health is a blessing from God. A temporary blessing. These bodies are temporary in this life. Our health is temporary. We must pray for strength to have no other gods be it ourselves in gluttony/disregard for the gift of our bodies/health or ourselves in health itself by obsessing over food. Both are sins.
Mothers, stop listening to the latest gurus. Stop wasting your time reading those articles, watching those shows, and worrying and crying over it. Stop staring at your reflection. Instead pray, read God's Word. Feed your family. And feed on Christ. And God keep you.

