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FOOD -
FRIEND OR FOE?
Diane M. Hunt, M.S., M.A.
Director of Women’s Addiction Ministries & Family Counseling
To really gain an understanding of the whole
area of overeating the best place to go is to
the Bible to learn God's perspective of this very
human problem. Before doing that, let's look at
a definition of gluttony. Webster defines
gluttony as "excess in eating; extravagant
indulgence of the appetite for food."
A simple Bible search for the word "gluttony" is
not terribly helpful. The most it did was to
reveal a link to drunkenness.1 What might that
link be? Dr. Ed Welch says, "The biblical view
of drunkenness (is) the prototype of all
addictions ."2 Could it be that gluttony is a
form of addiction? Let's consider the following
definition of addiction (also in Dr. Welch's
book) and it's applicability to food: "Addiction is
bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or
state of mind, which then becomes the center of
life, defending itself from the truth so that even
bad consequences don't bring repentance, and
leading to further estrangement from God."3
Words like bondage and rule can identify what it
"feels" like in a battle with food. Sometimes, a
person can "feel" out of control and in the grips
of food even when threatened with failing
health, overweight, fatigue, high blood pressure,
guilt, etc. Yet, repentance does not follow.
Interesting, the use of the word repentance in
this definition. Repentance is associated with
sin. Why would addiction or gluttony be
considered sin in the Bible? Go back to the first
phrase in the definition, "addiction is bondage
to the rule of a substance,." When we are in
bondage to the rule of anything or anyone other
than God, we have misplaced our worship. We
are looking to, relying on, that thing or person
to do what God wants to do in our life. This is
true in the lives of believers as well as unbelievers.
Romans 1:25, ".who exchanged the
truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served
the creature rather than the Creator." God alone is
worthy of our devotion and worship. Revelation
4:11, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power."
If we are not fully satisfied in Christ, we look
elsewhere to be filled -- to people, substances,
sex, exercise, diet, entertainment, food,
excitement, etc. For sake of illustration, let's say
that our relationship with Christ fills us 85%,
leaving 15% unsatisfied or empty. Our human
propensity is to find something to fill that 15%.
If that something is food, we become dependent
on it, or even in bondage to it. The root to
breaking a bondage to food is being fully
satisfied with Jesus Christ. When we are fully
satisfied in Christ, there will be no empty space
that needs filled up with food, drugs, sex, or
people. Think about it, when we have just
finished Thanksgiving dinner and are full,
probably over full, we are not tempted to eat
even more. It's easy to turn down that 3rd slice of
pie because we are so full already. In the same
way, when we are fully satisfied in Christ, in fact,
satiated with Christ, there will be no empty
space (that 15%) that needs filled up. We will
be so full, food will lose its allure to satisfy
beyond what is necessary for our bodies to be
healthy. When all is said and done, the root of
gluttony is not being satiated with Jesus Christ.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
There are worse things than being hungry.
Sometimes hunger is allowed by God for His
purposes and for His glory. We are to be filled
with the fullness of God.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, "And you shall remember that the Lord your God
led you all the way these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know
what was in your heart, whether you would keep
His commandments or not. So He humbled you,
allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna
which you did not know nor did your fathers know,
that He might make you know that man shall not
live by bread alone; but man lives by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."
Eating to the glory of God requires discipline
and obedience. Numbers 11:19-21, "And Moses
said, 'Let no one leave any of it till morning.' (speaking of the manna). Notwithstanding, they
did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it
until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And
Moses was angry with them. So they gathered it
every morning, every man according to his need,
and when the sun become hot, it melted."
God is the ultimate provider of all that we need. The amount each person got was a
predetermined and a set amount; there were no
seconds. The provision was not too little nor too
much. It was just the right amount for
sustenance and health. Exodus 16:4-5, "Then the
Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from
heaven for you. And the people shall go out and
gather a certain quota every day, that I may test
them, whether they will walk in My law or not."
BUT HOW? MAKING IT WORK
Be thankful for God's provision and the
sufficiency of it. God's provision is abundant
and free. We have a greater struggle disciplining
ourselves when we have too much of something
than when we have too little. Each meal is a gift
of God's provision and further evidence of His
care and love. Why do we think it is okay to
presume upon that gift and ask for more that we
need?
When you are tempted to overeat, choose to be
satisfied in Christ alone. Romans 13:14, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision
for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
Eat a variety of foods and focus on what you
can eat, not on what you cannot. Numbers
11:4-6, "Now the mixed multitude who were
among them yielded to intense craving; so the
children of Israel also wept again and said: 'Who
will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish
which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the
garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is
nothing at all except this manna before our eyes.'"
Isn't it interesting that they remembered, with
craving, the foods but failed to remember that
they were in bondage in Egypt? We tend to
remember the delight of the food but fail to
remember the bondage.
Stick with single servings. Don't skimp but
don't indulge. Avoid second helpings. See
Exodus 16:4-5 above. Rarely, when we want
seconds, is it because we are still truely hungry.
Feast upon Christ. Be fully satisfied in Him.
Jeremiah 31:14, ".My people shall be satisfied
with My goodness, says the Lord."
? Read Scripture - immerse yourself in the Word
of God.
? Memorize Scripture - love God with all your
mind.
? Meditate on Scripture - consider, dwell upon,
chew on God's truth.
? Pray -communicate often with God
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Addiction: A Banquet in the Grave
Dr. Ed Welch
Love to Eat Hate to Eat
Elyse Fitzpatrick
Breakding Free: Making Liberty
in Christ a Reality in Life
Beth Moore
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