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There are some individuals who have eating disorders and need help. Then, there are those of us
who simply have a discipline issue and need to get our diet in check.
If you know you’ve been gobbling up all your favs and can do a better job of keeping your appetite at
bay, here are 8 Scriptures to help you accomplish this.
#1 Eat enough and then quit. When it comes to the good stuff, which is often super sweet,
salty or greasy (or a combination of all three!), we tend to go overboard. But strive not to eat
more than enough. Proverbs 25:16 says, “If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.”
#2 Resist greed. Food is a huge part of our culture. If we’re not careful, the satisfaction of our
belly will become our primary focus. This leads to unabashed greed and overindulgence.
Philippians 3:19 says, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their
shame, with minds set on earthly things.” Greed destroys. Don’t make a god out of your belly.
#3 Be spiritual. What in the world does eating have to do with spirituality, you ask? Well, self-
control is a fruit of the spirit according to Galatians 5:23. The Greek word for self-control is
“egkrateia.” It means temperance and denotes the mastery of one’s desires and passions,
particularly sensual appetites. So a part of displaying spiritual fruit is putting natural fruit
(instead of candy or chips) in your mouth.
#4 Remember that life is more than food. A portion of Luke12:23, which, in its larger
context encourages believers not to worry, contains six words that can help you get your diet in
check. It simply says, “For life is more than food…”
But if you look around, it doesn’t seem like it, right? Due to corporate greed, the food industry
churns out so much unhealthy processed junk and markets these health-destroying
concoctions to consumers. Everywhere there are food ads. But focus on the fact that there is
more to life than food. Don’t be consumed by the advertising or you’ll find yourself consuming
everything!
#5 Practice fasting. Fasting is a wonderful spiritual discipline and a practical way to get your
flesh in check. Deprive yourself of food for a time. This will teach you not to give into every
impulse. In Matthew 4:4, after Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and was tempted by the devil
to turn stones into bread, He said something useful: “'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
This kind of discipline is the key to mastery of fleshly temptations. At the end of the day, that’s
all junk food is—a huge temptation! You can overcome it. By the way, make sure that, before
fasting regularly for health, you check with your doctor to see if it’s right for you.
#6 Realize that gluttony is harmful. Most of the time, when we indulge in our favorite treats,
we feel joy and pure bliss. But when we overdo it consistently, this leads to an unhealthy cycle
that will destroy our health and reduce our quality of life.
Proverbs 23:20-21 says, “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the
drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.” Gorging
yourself on anything leads to nowhere good. If you want to live your best life, adopt healthy
habits. You don’t have to cut out your favorite things completely. Just eat them in moderation.
#7 Make a habit of eating light. Heavy, calorie-filled entrees will always be an option, but
choose to eat light—fresh fruits and veggies— even though your body will cry out for the
heavier stuff at first. When God fed Israel in the wilderness, He gave them manna, which was
like coriander seed. It was white and tasted like wafers with honey (Exodus 16:31). This was
light stuff. Everybody wasn’t happy, though. They wanted some meat! Plus, if they tried to
hoard up more than they needed, God would cause it to rot.
Despite the fact that the Israelites missed all the scrumptious food they had in Egypt before
being rescued from lifelong servitude by Moses, manna was enough to sustain them. So try
incorporating your own version of manna into your healthy diet. Of course, God isn’t going to
rain it down from heaven, but you can have light, non-meat items daily and limit yourself to just
enough—no more, no less.
#8 Honor your body as a temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own.” This scripture is talking about sexual purity, but it’s also relevant to everything we
do with our temple where the Holy Spirit dwells.
Yes, even eating! You only get one body. Take care of it. Don’t run it ragged, without giving it
the proper fuel. Consume good things. Make healthy decisions. That way, you’ll be in tip-top
shape to fulfill your Kingdom purpose without having to struggle with all those nagging, totally
preventable diseases.
Eating a healthier diet begins with changing your personal choices daily. As you can see, taking
control of your health by viewing it through a spiritual lens.
3 John 2 in the Amplified Bible says it all: “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and
prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].”
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