...For Our Food

I believe that we are charged by God to take care of not only our spirits and to be responsible for what we place in our minds, but also to wisely consider how we treat our physical bodies.  1st Corinthians 6 says:
19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Our choices are to reflect that we belong to Him, and so we seek His direction regarding not only what we allow into our spirits, but also the foods we eat and other practices concerning our bodies. There is a heightened level of concern in the culture at large today about what we eat, as well as how and how often we exercise.  For the Christian, these areas give us an opportunity to be wise and worshipful, recognizing that our lifestyle choices really become acts of worship to the Lord, who has placed us as stewards over our bodies, His temple.

In 1st Corinthians 10, Paul issues the simple statement, which can inform our choices, even at the dinner table...
31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Yesterday, I discussed a random reward that a North Carolina restaurant was giving out for people who prayed in public.  Today, I want to consider a recent Barna survey that highlights the content of the plate - and the volume.   Because there is concern.   There is a greater emphasis these days, I believe, on obesity - the Centers for Disease Control puts the rate at 1-in-3 adults and 1-in-6 children.    And, as believers in Christ who regard our bodies as the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are responsible for what - and how much - we put into that temple.

The Barna Group survey shows that nearly half of Americans are concerned they eat too much (47%).  The report states, "With growing knowledge about food and its effects on health, and the availability of so many online resources and diet apps, it comes as no surprise that younger adults are more concerned about how much they eat, and what they eat, than older adults."  It points out that Millennials - born between 1984 and 2002 - are the generation most likely to say they are very or somewhat concerned about how much they eat (57%). In contrast, far fewer Elders - born in 1945 or earlier - express concern about eating too much (30%). Gen-Xers (49%) and Boomers (44%) fall between these extremes.

There's a similar contrast between the levels of concern expressed by practicing Christians, at 55%, and by Americans who adhere to a faith other than Christianity (42%) or to no faith at all (41%). Those who attended church within the past month (56%) also tend to be more concerned about eating too much than marginally churched (46%) and unchurched (40%) adults.

And, even though there are more healthy food choices available, half of all Americans say they are concerned they eat too much unhealthy food (51%) and one-third say they eat too much fast food (37%). Again, Millennials are much more likely to express concern about unhealthy eating and fast food consumption.

The study does attribute a concern among Christians about healthy eating to Biblically-centered weight and nutrition programs - just over half of practicing Christians (53%) express more worry about unhealthy food than Americans who adhere to non-Christian faiths (40%). Similarly, more practicing Christians (15%) are very concerned about eating too much fast food compared to Americans of other (8%) or no faith (9%). And, there's concern among just over 4-in-10 that they are not eating enough homemade food, and just over one-third worry about unpredictable mealtimes.   

And, there's guilt over these eating habits, too.  More than half of U.S. adults (55%) say they occasionally, regularly or constantly feel guilty about their eating habits.

Returning to the premise I mentioned earlier, we regard our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. The care we take of our physical bodies is an act of worship to God, and I believe He has called us to be stewards even in that physical realm.  As the study points out, the popularity of Christ-centered health plans is a good indicator that there is concern in the choice of our foods.  We have to be wise concerning the content of our plates and the volume we consume.    

There's another area that came to my mind here as I considered these survey results.   The concern over homemade food called to mind that we just might not be eating at home as much, or if we are, we may be bringing more take-out into the family kitchen.   Families these days are scattered due to busy schedules, extracurricular activities, and other factors - but if you can arrange it, consider the importance of the family dinner table; it can provide a time to slow down and reconnect with one another - to have conversation and to build a sense of togetherness.     

And, finally, recognize that our food and various other resources are given to us by God.  So, the blessing of our meals is an important exercise.  And, we think that we honor Him as we can consume wisely in a proper manner.