Life Is More Than Food
I love illustrated devotionals. The ones I usually buy are the kind that you read the text for the day, doodle on the graphic while thinking about what you read, and then write your thoughts about it. I've completed several books through the years. Many times, the devotions are exactly what I've needed to hear at the time. But the one pictured above stands out to me more than any other I've ever read. It’s based on the following passage:
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than the birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" -Luke 12:22-25
The main focus of this passage is about worrying. Something I've always struggled with. Mom said that she never had to fuss at me about my grades in school because I worried about them enough on my own. As I've gotten older, I've slowly learned to worry less and trust God more. Although I still struggle with it more than I should and some may find it hard to believe, I really have come a long way. However, it was verse 23 that stopped me in my tracks.
Life is more than food... As many times as I had read this verse, those words on this day struck out to me like they never had before. I had just finished praying for a friend that for medical reasons couldn't eat. Maybe that's why they caught my attention like they did or maybe it was just pure conviction.
Unfortunately, worrying isn’t the only thing I struggle with. My weight has been a problem my whole adult life. I’ve tried every diet under the sun. Some have worked well for a while, until I start the process of gaining the weight back.
Some people don't feel like eating when they’re stressed, but I’m just the opposite. When I’m stressed, I find myself snacking on things even when I’m not hungry. That, along with not much willpower and a desk job is a recipe for a weight problem. As bad as that is, in this particular moment weight wasn't my main concern. It was the conviction that I felt for using food as a coping mechanism rather than what God intended for it to be. It was knowing that when I get stressed, one of the first things I turn to is food. It was such a realization, that I had a bracelet made with Luke 12:23 engraved on it that I wear every day as a reminder. You would think that would be enough to keep me on track, but it wasn't. Recently, I lost my focus and once again find myself trying to get back where God wants me. Focused on Him when things get stressful and nothing else.
Does that mean we shouldn't enjoy food? Absolutely not. In fact, we're told to eat with joy in Ecclesiastes 9 and 1 Timothy 6 says that God provides everything for us to enjoy. But just like anything else in life, if we put more focus on it than we do God, it becomes an idol.
So, as we finish off the Thanksgiving meals and head into the Christmas ones, I will try to be mindful not to overindulge on the things God provides while also keeping my focus on Him. Just as it was meant to be.
Go, eat your bread with joy... -Ecclesiastes 9:7
But God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. -1 Timothy 6:17
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