Food

<<nourishment>>

A balanced, wholesome adequate diet is essential for good health along with sufficient quality sleep, relaxation and exercise. Many illnesses and disease are directly linked to food as ‘we are what we eat’.  While Adam and Eve ate their way out of the will of God, many today eat their way into a multitude of health issues and early death by poor eating habits, including abuse from over-eating good food besides consuming excess junk/fast food. Many convience and prepackaged foods are high in sugar, salt, fat and preservatives. Dieting tries to address the problem of obesity, however self-control and wisdom are a better and healthier alternative, understanding as Christians, we are to be good stewards of our bodies which house the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19,20). Eat to live, rather than living to eat for life is more than food (Lk 12:23).

hearts delight...Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (Jer 15:16; 1 Pet 2:2). To be spiritually healthy consume what is nourishing and life-giving, staying away from what is spirit-depleting, harmful and unwholesome. Hence, we must monitor all the forms of input that would try to enter as all has some impact on our spirituality. Jesus instructed, “Don’t work for earthly food alone but appropriate the spiritual nourishment that I alone can give” (Jn 6:27).  Blessed are those who are hungry for righteousness (Mt 5:6). Jesus said of Himself, “My food [nourishment] is to do the will of Him who sent me” (Jn 4:34). What sustained Jesus was actively doing what God wanted Him to do. Can I say that I am empowered by the ministry He has given me?

drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink" (Jn 6:54,55). He was inferring by devouring Him, the "Bread of life" our spirits will be nourished and grow strong and healthy just as physical food imparts sustenance to our bodies, without which we will die (Jn 6:35,48).

The OT Israelites were forbidden to eat various ‘unclean’ animals, maybe because they would have been identified too closely with the idolatrous practices of other nations, or because the meat was unsafe in the hot climate (Deut 14:3-21).  However, Jesus later declared all foods clean and the only teaching given was any meat must have the blood drained from it at the time of slaughter as “the life is in the blood” (Lev 17:11; Mk 7:18-22; Act 15:29).  Hygiene and proper storage of food is essential to maintain good health.

Increasingly the commercially grown food is becoming less nutritious, yet contain more toxic pesticides and insecticides which have an adverse effect on our lives. Even prescription medicine, although given with the intent of bringing benefit to a sick body also regularly have harmful results. Consequently, many health-care professionals recommend taking vitamin and mineral supplements to counteract this.

As each year several million people die from starvation, due to crop failures and the result of drinking unclean water, supplying food for those in desperate famine situations is pleasing to God, showing practical Christianity (Jas 2:15-17). 

See also: diet, drink, exercise, famine, fasting, health, input, self-control.