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FIRST-PERSON: Life is more than food and clothing


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Consider the reasons you eat. Do you eat because it’s mealtime? Or does stress send you to food for comfort? Do you eat because you are in a social situation or you are alone?

Of all the reasons to eat, only one is a reliable guide — hunger.

Hunger signals that the body’s fuel supply is low. Because food is so readily available in our society, hunger is rarely the reason we eat. More often, our reasons to eat are in our minds rather than in our stomachs. When we focus on living to eat instead of eating to live, food may become an idol.

In Luke 12:23, Jesus made a very clear point — “life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.”

Have you caught yourself focusing on food as though it were the main reason for living? Are you consumed with a focus on your appearance that you will try anything to achieve some level of physical perfection?

Food is not the enemy. God designed good foods to keep the human body alive. Jesus acknowledged our need for food to survive. The problem comes when we focus on food.

If you have begun this year with an intention to change your appearance by losing weight, maintaining your weight, or even gaining weight and you focus your life around this goal, you could be setting up an idol in your life.

Consider de-emphasizing the physical results and emphasize the wellness and health result that come from making wise choices that honor your body. Looking for a quick fix or detailed prescription for success may only lead to eventual disappointment when the task becomes too difficult and relentless.

Consider beginning a wellness plan that honors your uniqueness. Before you eat something ask yourself if you are hungry.

If the answer is no, ask yourself why you are eating.

If the answer is yes, you should ask yourself what the best source of fuel would be for your body.

When you seek to honor your body with the food you put in it, you also honor God and the gift of life he has given you.
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Portions of this article were taken from the Fit 4 Nutrition Member Workbook [ISBN 0-6330-2883-5]. For more information about Fit 4 visit www.fit4.com or call 800-458-2772. Polk is a certified fitness instructor and the Fit 4 Coordinator at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

    About the Author

  • Branda Polk