What is the Goal?

The Lord calls us to be stewards of our physical bodies. That means we endeavor to take care of them to the best of our ability so that God can use us. Taking care of our bodies well can be a challenge. Maybe we lack planning skills, or we don’t have time, or maybe we just don’t always care enough.

The Battle Begins

It is a battle. A battle of choices in how we will nourish our bodies. We are often unprepared especially if we don’t recognize this battle. Everyday, we have multiple decisions to make when we feel hunger. Will we choose foods that help us take care of our bodies well, or will we continually make choices that do not help us in this endeavor?

Knowing vs. Doing

The knowledge of what to eat is helpful, and we can be continually learning how certain foods provide nourishment to our bodies. But the truth is that most of us have at least some knowledge of what we should be eating.   The harder part is actually doing what we know we should do.  How can we bridge the gap between knowing and doing when it comes to food?

I believe God gives us plenty of instruction regarding this bridge in the bible. Let’s look today at Ephesians 6 to see what Paul has to say. Ephesians is a letter to the church in Ephesus about being prepared for the spiritual battles they will face.  When reading this passage, we must remember that Paul is not directly talking about the food battle, but these spiritual battles show up in many forms.

Ephesians Chapter 6: 13-18a

13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/eph/6/1/s_1103001

Practical Steps

Many times when I am struggling with something, and someone quotes a verse from the Bible, I think, “OK, great, but what can I do practically to change?”  Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of practical things in the Bible. But, since the Bible doesn’t talk a lot about the food battle, sometimes we aren’t sure where to go next. It all starts in your mind.  Did you know that your actions are a direct result of your thought process? This is why I take time every Thursday to talk about transforming our minds on Instagram! We know that when we change our minds, our behaviors often follow. The best way to change our minds is to consistently be in God’s word.

Here are three ways to begin to transform your mind:

  1. Remind yourself that you do have self-control. We know from scripture that God gives us a spirit of self-control (2 Tim 1:7).
  2. Be patient (Galatians 5:22). The people who are the most successful in achieving their health goals are NOT those who are perfect, but those who LEARN along the way and continue to make improvements.
  3. Know that God is with you to help you in the midst of your struggle. He truly does care for you and wants you to find peace in your journey with food.

You can do this!  Remember to focus on improvements all through your journey. Let God’s word give you peace, comfort, and joy as you prepare for your battles!

Remember “It is better to be consistently good than occasionally perfect.”

Did you find this article helpful and encouraging? If so, you may want to check out my 8-week Food and Faith Program to help you transform your mind even more!

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

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