We live in a day and time where we consume so much daily that our focus is centered around our desires rather than the needs of others. One of those things we are most distracted by is food. When am I going to eat? How much am I going to eat? Where am I going to eat? Am I going to eat alone or who can I call to have a meal with? Will I eat healthy, indulge in some comfort food, or will I cut out bread? I think you get my point, but honestly the list can go on and on.
We all have asked these questions and do not get me wrong, I am not saying that there is anything sinful about enjoying food, but there is something wrong if we are looking to satisfy our hunger more than finding fulfillment in Christ. This is how I have been living for most of my life. I have been trying to satisfy the depths of my soul by filling my body with food.
At one time, diets were a lifestyle for me and trying to lose weight for the purpose of pleasing others was the main part of my existence, Living this way did not get me anywhere but back to square one. I thought maybe I could not get rid of the weight because I was not eating the right foods, so I tried to become a vegetarian and most of the time I was not even over weight. Rather, I based my beliefs on what what a few people were telling me. I began to understand that in consuming the negative feedback, I ended up becoming a manifestation of it until I had to say to God, "Lord, please show me what I look like to you."
When we encounter situations like this, we may often feel like we are a victim, and at one point, that may have been true but we do not have to be any longer.
I am learning to be content in Christ rather than food and other material things. Temporal things can be a blessing and beneficial but our lives should not revolve around them to the point where we are no longer thankful; and I am not talking about just saying thank you, I mean truly grateful at heart.
Have there been times when you have gotten mean, and down right angry when you have not had anything to eat or you do not get what you want? I have been that person, and it is always the excuse I use when I miss a meal and take it out on others. There are even commercials promoting this as well. For all of us that are blessed with money to buy what we need, being mean because we have not gotten what we want immediately should never be our excuse. If it is a good excuse, then people who are homeless or living in poverty should be violent and ready to bite someone's head off.
Today, I found myself hungry and having a fit within because I had to wait to eat. When I finally got a chance to eat, I ended up getting full faster than I expected, yet I was so hungry before that I thought I would lose my mind (okay, so it was not that bad, but close enough in my mind).
I am learning the difference between physical hunger and soul hunger. Sometimes our souls are looking for satisfaction and we decided to subside that feeling of discomfort with food. What we really need, more than nutrients to fill our stomachs, is nourishment for our spirits.
Think about all the times you have eaten and you were not even hungry. How many times have you said, "I am not hungry, but I can eat?" Whether you have said it or not, we all have probably done it at some point.
God needs to be our daily bread, and we need to remember why we are blessed to be able to eat in the first place. He is our provider, but we do not always remember that when we are hungry. Nothing is wrong with food or being hungry, the problem is that we over indulge and are never contented through the flesh.
I read something one time that said, "If we are overweight, food is not the problem; and if food is not the problem then consuming the right types of food is not the solution." When I read this I thought this was so powerful because if you are still over indulging with healthy foods, then the issue is still there. Just because you changed the type of food does not mean that the problem is solved because you are still going to be just as hungry. Changing the food is not going to change what yearns within.
This is what I am learning now and it is a tough journey. I have only just begun.
I pray that we would all let God be our daily bread and find that out hunger and thirst can be pleased in Him.
"So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips," (Psalm 63:2-5 English Standard Version).
Though these verses are not in the exact context of what I wrote about above, our souls should always be satisfied in Him.
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