Do you ...

Do you …

Dear Reader,

            Can you and I have a confab today?

            How often during a day do you think about food?  Three times—at meal times?  Five times, adding in a couple snack times?  More times than that?

            I’d sure like to know if you are like I am.  It seems to me, I think about food some 18 hours a day (subtracting sleep hours and the three times I eat meals).

            Now I realize some of that think time consists of meal planning:  What shall I make for breakfast?  For lunch?  For supper?

            But much of the time is stinkin’ thinkin’:  When do I get to eat again?  What can I eat right now?  How much can I eat?

            Why do I think about food, what seems to me, most of my waking hours?  A major reason, I think, is that food is a sensual pleasure.  It comforts me.  Eating is something to do, especially in the evening when I am watching TV or reading.

            I am soooooo embarrassed to share this flaw with you, but maybe admitting these thoughts is a step toward healing.  Do you, Reader, relate to me?  If so, what can you and I do?

            Gloria and I have posted various suggestions of God’s provisions for our being freed from enslavement to overeating, and once again as I reflected on this particular eating dilemma, the Holy Spirit brought a Scripture verse to mind:  “…Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8 Life Application Study Bible).

            Is this my answer?  I pray for the grace to fix my thoughts on “what is true, honorable and right” when unnecessary thoughts of food intrude into my mind?  I think I’ll try it.  What about you?

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

Our Bodies Aren’t Our Own

       “They [our bodies] were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies,” (1 Corinthians 6:13 NLT).

       I am tempted by sweets. Very tempted. In fact, I think I am addicted to sweets. I have to stay away from them completely; then I can reject them--only then. If I give in to that large vanilla shake from DQ it will lead to a cookie from the bakery, or a candy bar from the vending machine, or both.

       This verse reminds me that God sees what I put in my body. He listens to my thoughts as I decide on my next morsel. He understands when I select vegetables that I am trying to be healthy. And when I partake of the delicious cream-filled cake that slides down my chin, God knows I am letting my stomach call the shots. 

       I feel embarrassed that God knows I can eat a half-gallon of ice cream in three bowls but just one sitting. I’m ashamed of the volume of food I can eat if I’m given the chance, usually being by myself. 

       When I pay attention to God and acknowledge God’s possession of my body as a temple, I find different things taste sweet and wonderful. Carrot sticks are really delicious. Sweet peas get their name from their yumminess. Cucumbers and tomatoes, fresh from the garden, offer lip-smacking lusciousness. 

       The bonus is how I feel after I’ve eaten them! I feel good: not embarrassed or ashamed or guilty. I feel great! Clean eating (without sugar and fat) is almost as good as being washed by Jesus’ blood. Not really, but for illustration, you get what I mean. Eating clean is a good choice to make for many reasons but today the best reason I can imagine is that it is the choice God wants me to make because He cares about my body.

Gloria D. Stewart