Responsible Eating… “When you sit down with a ruler; note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.” Proverbs 23:1-3
Responsible eating is a good indicator of responsible living. When you show discipline around the dinner table you tend to exercise discipline in other areas of life. It’s when we drift into indulging our appetite that we harm our bodies. As a whole, portions pleasing to the palate need to decrease as our age increases. Responsible eating means we enjoy a delicious meal without gorging ourselves into gluttony.
Convenience to good food can lead to cravings that spin out of control. Abundance of delicious meals makes us all overweight without moderate intake and exercise. It is entertaining and relationally fulfilling to enjoy a nice meal with friends and family, but wisdom adds temperance and moderation. An undisciplined appetite is destructive and unacceptable to the Lord, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).
How can I in good conscience experience excessive eating when most of the world goes to bed hungry? There is a stewardship of food intake that protects my body from excessive weight and invites undernourished bodies to gain weight. How much I eat matters to my health and to the health of others. So with holy contempt we keep from wasting food while others waste away. We eat less so others can eat more.
Therefore, enjoy the blessing of delicious meals with responsible eating. Dine with an eye on healthy food but in smaller portions. Plan menus so you eat food with forethought and you avoid frequenting fast food establishments. Your body will thank you for making food your friend and not your enemy. Do I eat responsibly? Am I careful to limit my cravings for food? Eating is a spiritual transaction and the fruit of the Spirit is “self control” (Galatians 5:23).
Related Readings: Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 25:16; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27; 2 Peter 1:6
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?
How will I respond?
