The Spiritual Shift: Day #18 Food

                          Day #18 Food

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." ~I Corinthians 10:31

Life is an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Let's think about that statement. Is it true?
Life does offer countless opportunities just as there are many dish options.
We can enjoy the many flavors and have a very satisfying meal.
We can be overwhelmed by choices just as we can in life.
We can overcommit in life, and we certainly can overeat at a buffet.

So, if life is an all-you-can-eat buffet, let's make a plan to be wise about our choices.

Our routine:

Assessment: What is the current condition of our relationship with food?

• What is the purpose of this relationship?

• What is the state of this relationship? What is going well? What isn’t?

• What changes need to be made to this relationship?

Adjustment: What role does food play in our lives? Do we eat to sustain ourselves or do we eat as a mindless activity? Are we mindful and disciplined about what/when we eat physical food? Are we mindful and disciplined about the fact that we also need spiritual food?

The first verses we will explore show us that God is our Provider. From the very beginning in Genesis, God lets us know that He provides for our physical need of food.

Genesis 1:29

"Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.'"

Genesis 9:3 [God's instruction to Noah and his family]

"Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

While God provides the nourishment, He does trust us to be discerning and wise about our consumption.

I Corinthians 10:23

"'I have the right to do anything,' you say--but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'--but not everything is constructive."

Proverbs 20:1

"Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise."

These verses may address our behavior at an all-you-can-eat buffet. We have a right to our choices, but we really must still be mindful. I don't know about you, but I have, on more than one occasion, sat down with a large bowl of popcorn and a movie, and mindlessly munched and munched until all that was left was my regret and the hulls and unpopped seeds at the bottom of the bowl. The problem is not the movie or the popcorn; the problem is my mindless consuming.

Some might bristle that I included the verse from Proverbs, but we certainly can admit that alcohol has impacted--and continues to impact--most of our lives. I have enjoyed the past two years of sobriety and part of that is directly due to the Holy Spirit convicting me and leading me to this verse. Of course, the Bible is full of numerous instances of people drinking wine, and Jesus' first miracle can attest to wine being enjoyed at celebrations. Just as the popcorn wasn't the problem with my eating, the wine wasn't the problem with my drinking, but my desire to have just one more glass could have become a bigger problem in my life.

Let us be mindful about our consumption. Let us not be led astray by our choices. I continue to work on realigning my relationship with food and beverages, especially chocolate and Diet Coke.

While God is our Provider, He does also use our need for nourishment to teach us.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3

"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

Psalm 78:23-27

"Yet he [God] gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;
he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds like sand on the seashore."

Nehemiah 9:19-21

"Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen."

John 6:25-27 [This is just after Jesus has miraculously fed the 5,000.]

"Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?'

Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.'"

John 6:31-35

"Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written; 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'
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 6:47-51 [Jesus is speaking.]

"Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Isn't it amazing how well God weaves the story of His work into our lives? This is just a few occasions in which the Bible recounts the story of God providing manna to His people. As we read, we realize that God has revealed that He is much more than just a physical provider, but that He is also our spiritual provider. Jesus attests to being the Bread of Life. Like manna from heaven, Jesus came into this world to provide for our spiritual nourishment and our way to eternal life. Hallelujah and Amen!

Much like the choices at the buffet, will we choose to accept the Bread of Life? Sadly, not all will. If we do, we need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, as our Bread of Life, and then live a life committed to being His followers. Part of the responsibility of being a Christ follower is to share the bread. We must share our spiritual nourishment with others, but we should also help others with physical nourishment. Often the way to share our testimony best is by first meeting someone's physical needs.

Proverbs 22:9

"The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor."

Proverbs 25:21-22

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you."

Since making choices about food--physical and spiritual--is something we do daily, it is important to be both mindful and purposeful and prayerful (full of prayer) in those choices.

Philippians 3:17-21

"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Jesus is the ultimate example of living a life mindful about His physical and spiritual choices. Let us right our relationship with food and drink in our lives, but more importantly accept Jesus as the Bread of Life and submit to God's Will for our lives. The Holy Spirit is truly our Advocate and will guide us so that whether we are eating or drinking or whatever we do, we are doing all for the glory of God.

Prayer: 

Almighty God, You are an amazing Provider. Thank You for all the physical nourishment You have given us. We also thank You for the spiritual nourishment that You provide in the Bible. We thank You for the guidance of Your Spirit and the example of Jesus. Please help us to make life-giving choices. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:21