Ah, a new year and we’re all looking at our thighs and bellies. Everyone’s got a diet they’re pushing, even Christians. There’s a book called The Bible Diet, 40 days to cleanliness. The Weigh Down Diet advises, "God's perfect boundaries of hunger and fullness" if they want to shed a pound or two. There are a slew of other books of meditations and diets, and let’s not forget the best title yet: What Would Jesus Eat? What’s a good Christian to do when they’re overweight? During Biblical times people worried about not having any food and disease, but according to current Christian trends, a type of diet will make you spiritually closer to God and physically healthier. I can only agree with the possibility of the second part of that sentence. You will get healthier if you eat better and take a few walks.
I always have problems with books or speakers that start off with telling me what God wants for me, and how to follow a particular path for results. I haven’t read the books I listed, and they might be helpful to those who’ve read and followed their advice, but eating right and taking time to exercise aren’t really specifically Christian issues.
There’s a lot of shame associated with being overweight, and failing to lose weight with a diet based on the Bible’s message, is loaded with implications. I often repeat this caveat: shame is the number one emotion that keeps people from God.
God can give us strength to overcome our addictions, no doubt, but he can also work with our primary care physician.
Being fat isn’t a sin, unless you’re to believe in the seven deadly sins, and gluttony being one of those, but that’s rooted in Catholicism not Evangelism, and in that case you’re on the wrong website. And now, I recently read that Christians are venturing into humane treatment of animals and how they’re raised for food. I guess they missed the Old Testament’s details, and quite specific instructions from God, of sacrificial rights. So now, in modern times we’re not only to eat healthy (forget the locus) you’re to eat only cows that have roamed freely up until we lay them down in a field of clover and gently slit their throats.
Being healthy minded and compassionate is wonderful, and in a perfect world (which this isn’t, Bible studies 101), that’s how we’d all live—and die. But our world is hectic and brutal, and finding the time to weed through what’s healthy and how and where our food is grown and raised—and killed, is a time consuming, if not daunting process. Then, you’re to take all of that information, find a farmer’s market, look for organic and free range everything that wasn’t grown ten miles out of your area, and formulate tasty healthy dishes. If you don’t, well, “what kind of Christian are you?”
Is Christianity a lifestyle, or Salvation? I never thought I’d be asking this question.
Yep, I’m going to back peddle for another example of the influence of eastern religion on Christian thought—and it’s arrival on our dinner table.
Many eastern religions necessitate a vegetarian diet. Meat, they’re told will make you “aggressive,” wherein vegetables will bring peace. Their concept is all living things have a soul which evolves eventually to becoming a human. That’s why in India cows roam around the streets. Metaphysical life-styles, which often include eastern thought, take great concern on what they eat because it determines their own state of consciousness. I just cringe thinking Christians might equate their lifestyles (food and exercise) as part of their spiritual walk with Jesus.
What I’m trying to get at here is if we fail to lose ten pounds are we going to feel shame that we’re not doing God’s Word? Failure can easily lead to shame. That’s why when we eat one cookie on our diet, we think, oh, heck, eat ‘em all, and then we feel shame and hide in a closet. Don’t make your prayer closet THAT shame closet. Don’t hide from God just because a diet based on someone’s interpretation of the Bible didn’t work for you. Instead, read the Bible and ask God for some one on one directive.
Here’s what the Bible taught me about food: sacrifice. There’s hardly a thing we can do in this world without sacrifice. Something always dies for something to stay alive. Sin died to Christ. Be grateful and thank the Lord for what's on your table.
One other thing I’d like to point out to unbelievers (in case a few drop by), is that the Lord’s table is free. There is no cost to come into the Kingdom and eat from his table. His forgiveness, bounty and love are right before all of us and all we need do is come forward.
