Food Guilt
By: Linda Carol Baker
Dear Friends,
Food guilt can tie you up in knots, sabotaging renewed health and weight maintenance efforts. Perhaps, like myself, you have become frustrated with food restrictions that you don't really believe are necessary. I got to the point that nothing seemed healthy to eat. There was always something wrong with it... too much fat, too much sugar, etc. I felt like I was going to be strangled with food bondage! I hated living this way and I knew God didn't want me to live this way either! So I went to Him in Jesus name and asked for help! I am thrilled at the answer!
Sitting down with my paper, New American Standard Bible, and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance I started to look up the word food. That was not a lot of help. Then God directed me to look up verses on the word "eat" instead. Wow! What a difference! I use the NASV because it is a word for word translation and my preference for word studies and lesson preparation for teaching.
Here are the passages resulting from this research with a summary of the high lights.
Luke 10:5-9
The basic lesson here: Peace... eat what is set before you. The workers wage is food and drink.
Second Thessalonians 3:10 ... if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.
The basic lesson here is: Work! Do work of all kinds, house work, your job, etc. It takes work to plan meals, shop and prepare food. Stop being lazy and do it! This one really applies to me. I like food to come easy with no effort... the less effort the better. So now the truth comes out. I am lazy when it comes to food preparation! But not for long because I am determined with Jesus help to change!
Luke 12:22-23 and 29-31
The basic lesson here: Do not be anxious for your life, food or clothing.
Do not seek what you shall eat and drink.
Do not keep worrying about food. (Thank God for feeding you!)
Seek God first and his way of doing things
Acts 10:13-15
The basic lesson here: What God has cleansed is no longer considered unholy
Romans 14:1-4
The basic lesson here: Don't pass judgment on people for eating everything, or for eating only vegetables (restricted diets) God accepts both people! God makes each person stand. Stand means be at rest, steadfast. Steadfast means faithful.. determined.. firm in will or purpose.. free of doubt, hesitation or fear... Stand also means to endure.
Romans 14:19-23
The basic lesson here: All things are indeed clean , no forbidden foods. Have your own convictions (not someone else's) before God. Be careful of what you approve. If you doubt and do it...that is sin. So be fully convinced in your own heart before God what you need to eat for the health of your body. In other words... Be true to what you are convinced of in your heart and trust God.
Matthew 15:11,17-20
The lesson here: food does not defile a person. It is what comes out of the mouth...the sin that effects the persons health and who they are. That is why it is so important to work on the mind will and emotions .
3 John 1:2
Beloved I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.
Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. We need to bring these to God for his healing and changing power to transform us. I am convinced the more we are transformed the greater improvement we will see in our health.
I can't find the reference for this next thought but I know it is in our Father's word.
The idea is that our food is sanctified with prayer and thanksgiving... One prayer one can pray is this. " Father , thank you for feeding me/us. Please sanctify and purify this food and drink to the restoration of our health, In Jesus Name" That is my prayer.
Philippians 3:13-14
The lesson here: Don't Ponder the past! Stop replaying past failures, problems, hurts, mistakes, sins... etc! Let it go! God wants us to forget the past and refusing to think about it is the way we do it! Remember balance, yes you do what to learn what ever lesson God taught you but you don't keep rehearsing the past... when you do that you miss out on what God is doing now and in our future). We are to live NOW! WE have a tomorrow... the past is gone and there is not one thing we can do to change it... only let it go and move forward.
This has been very liberating news for me and I hope for you too! Now I am praying for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what I am really convinced of... what are my convictions that I need to be true to before the Lord. What are you convinced of? What are your convictions?
The Adventure continues!!!
Love you, Linda Carol
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