The Healthiest Option
My family has been exploring healthier eating and a more active lifestyle (as we all should). My wife and I have tried shopping at grocery stores with healthier alternatives. My mother has started her own daily walking regimen. My brother-in-law has been on his own fitness journey, having just ran his first half-marathon (congrats, dude!). And my father-in-law has been inspiring the family to pay close attention to what we feed ourselves.
It's eye-opening when you learn about all the potentially harmful chemicals and additives that are on the ingredient labels of our favorite foods. In general, I think Americans are wising up and more conscious of the benefits of paying attention to what we eat. I downloaded an app this week that scans bar codes and provides information on what we are consuming. Some of the results were shocking and upsetting, to say the least. Foods that we thought might not be having as negative an impact on our bodies, could very well be harming us more than we think.
But there is also lot of conflicting advice on the internet about what is and isn't healthy and what we should and shouldn't avoid. My sister, who is a registered dietitian, isn't always quick to agree with another expert. So as we strive to digest information on what we are digesting, and separate fact from fiction from hysteria, it's important to remember that God isn't silent on the matter of what we should and shouldn't eat. In fact, He outlines the spiritual and physical significance of our diet. Let's take a look...
Spiritual
For those who don't know, God was explicit in Old Testament scripture about what the Israelites should and shouldn't eat. You might have heard the term "Kosher" to refer to a traditional Jewish diet. This diet famously excludes pork products, as well as the mixing of dairy and beef. But Jesus's disciples were charged with moving away from this tradition, for a purpose. In Acts 10, the disciple Peter receives a revelation that he is allowed to eat and drink what the Gentiles (non-Jews) do, and that it is good for him to do so.
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. (Acts 10: 9-16)
Peter obeys and then God instructs him to visit the home of a Gentile man named Cornelius - and it is here that Peter explains that God wants to bring salvation and the Holy Spirit to the rest of the world, not just for Israel. Peter would have grown up thinking that what he eats and puts in his body matters spiritually, but the Holy Spirit showed him otherwise. Jesus had previously taught His disciples that in a spiritual sense, food matters little.
Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. (Matthew 15:11)
This may not seem like a groundbreaking revelation, but without this particular moment described in Acts, Peter would have never been able to advance the Gospel beyond Israel. You see, Jesus modeled for His disciples how to preach the Gospel and that involved forming intimate relationships with the people they were sharing with. In some cases it involved breaking bread and sharing meals together. Jesus is often seen eating and drinking with sinners so that they may hear about the Good News and be saved.
The apostle Paul, a great evangelist, traveled throughout the Gentile world and defended how he would eat and dine with foreigners in their cultural setting.
Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” (1 Corinthians 10:25-26)
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33)
The Bible is clear that our diet, spiritually, can not prevent us from receiving the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. Rather, food is a tool that we should use to connect with others so that we may share the Gospel with them and bring salvation to their household.
Physical
The clearest biblical narrative on the physical benefits of healthier eating is found in Daniel, chapter 1. At the time, Israel was taken captive by an enemy nation and the king would "train" young enemy men to become his servants by assigning them daily portions of food from his royal table (these were likely delicacies and meat-heavy options). Daniel and his friends chose to abstain from eating this food. Instead, he asked for only vegetables and water. Because of his healthier dietary decisions, he and his friends were eventually recognized as more physically fit than those who partook in the royal banquet. This not only reaped physically benefits for Daniel and his friends, but also impressed the king and elevated their status.
While Daniel's story supports vegetarianism from a health standpoint, this cannot be read in a vacuum. It aligns with the pre-flood diet found in Genesis 1:29 - which can be considered vegetarian or vegan. However, after the great flood, which is when Daniel would have lived, the LORD commands that "every moving thing" is good for food (Genesis 9:3). Furthermore, many of the Jewish feasts, such as Passover, were ordained by God and involve the killing of an animal for food. That makes it hard to argue that veganism and vegetarianism is biblically speaking, the only correct option. Could it be a healthier option? Maybe so, but the Bible clearly does not forbid omnivorous or carnivorous eating.
Regardless of where you stand, the Bible is more forward about condemning gluttony. The Word of God emphasizes that gluttonous eating at sinful and unhealthy for the body and soul (Proverbs 23:20-21, Proverbs 25:16, Philippians 3:19). We are taught that our bodies are not just home to our spirit right now, but also to the Holy Spirit. And we are encouraged by the Bible to take care of this "temple" by not overeating.
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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
When you lease a vehicle and understand that you must return it to the dealer, are you not more careful not to bring harm or ruin upon the car? God wants us to take care of our bodies too, because they are not ours, they are His. We are only here in these bodies temporarily and one day, we have to return them to the dust from which they were formed. What condition will they be in?
Spiritual & Physical
I know for me, eating healthy is a challenge. I enjoy chocolate, sweets, high calorie drinks, and desserts. And while I'm working towards changing these habits and forming new ones because I genuinely want to honor God in my lifestyle choices, I also retain peace and comfort about both my spiritual and physical health, regardless of my performance. That is because of Jesus Christ and my worldview, which is a heaven-first mindset.
The fact is - no matter how hard we try to preserve our bodies, they will die. Death is a reality that cannot be reversed by eating better or exercising more. We can attempt to prolong our lives and increase the quality of them by eating healthier but even then, the results are not guaranteed. We must understand the following:
1) Death is the result of sin (Romans 6:23), not a bad diet or health decisions.
2) Healthier living doesn't always equal a longer life, and it cannot equate to eternal life.
Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)
Jesus Christ provides us the only food and drink that can bring us eternal life. He is not only the healthiest option, He is the ONLY option (reference John 14:6).
Jesus is the Living Water:
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)
Jesus is the Bread of Life:
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:32-35)
It doesn't get easier to understand than Jesus comparing himself to water and bread. Our bodies need to drink and eat to survive. But if we are to survive beyond death, we critically need Jesus and He needs to be on the throne of our lives. We must not only see and know about our meal (go to church services and learn about scripture), but we must eat it and digest it completely (apply what Jesus teaches, do the will of God, act on what we believe).
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; (John 11:25)
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)
I rejoice knowing that one day, my physical concerns will come to an end. But for now, I prioritize my life by first pursuing my daily bread (Jesus), as the Lord's prayer states "give us this day our daily bread." And everything else I do on earth, whether I diet or whether I choose to enjoy the fullness of what God has given me (ex. like a peppermint mocha), I keep what Paul writes to us in mind...
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:23)
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