The holiday season is here!  This is the time of year when we overeat and strap on a few extra pounds. But it doesn't have to be. Especially if you allow God to convict you about what eating is really all about.

The good

He made you dependent on food and water, so it is good to hunger, thirst, and then be satisfied. Being hungry even draws us to the Lord (Deut. 3).  

He made the plants and vegetables we eat and the animals that provide meat and dairy (Gen. 1:11-13, 20-25). 

The bad

So what is the problem? Why can’t we just have it all, as much as we want, anytime we want?

The answer is sin. Not just yours, but the broken world we live in too.

Like every good thing God has made for us to enjoy, it all goes bad when good things become idols (Rom. 1:21–25).

The ugly

So how can food be our god?   

1. Stress eating. This is when we go to food instead of God for our comfort.  Just like any other substitute, it will never satisfy, and destruction waits.
2. Pleasure seeking. Instead of waiting on the Lord to satisfy our desires, we go from one meal to the next, placing our joy on the anticipation and consumption of food. 
3. Gluttony. This is the scene where a meal is like a battle of who can ingest the most. Like Paul wrote, we are given over to our pleasures. To me, this is the same as drug binges or any other sensual pleasure-seeking that makes us more like animals than image-bearers of our king.

Eating for nutrition and community, not an escape

If you have just lost your appetite, have hope. There is a way to truly enjoy food but not live for it.

1. Always stop to remember where your provision came from. Not a quick and cheap prayer, but a heart-felt sense of gratitude that you have been provided for once again by our merciful God. (I Tim. 4:4).
2. Slow down. Eat your food slowly and appreciate it with family, friends, or both. Slowing down makes you feel fuller faster and helps you digest better.
3. Go for quality, not quantity. I cannot say enough good things about the movement afoot to eat locally produced vegetables and meats as well as cooking in a thoughtful and responsible way (not all fried).
4. Eat out as a treat, not the norm. Eating out is lazy, expensive, usually high calorie, and high salt. 
5. Avoid fake food—sugary snacks and sodas with no nutritional value. They load you up with calories and a sugar buzz, but not much else.
6. Put less food on your plate. That second trip to the food line isn't necessary; stay in your seat and enjoy your family and friends. 

Mindful eating with God in mind

You will find if you eat less and exercise more, your weight will not be as troublesome and you will feel better too. It really is true that we become what we eat, so eat in a way that makes you praise God, thank him, and have the energy, stamina, and body that is ready to serve him.