Published 11/5/19
Read Matthew 6:25
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"
Reflect
Though Jesus was talking to people who didn't have enough, how can this apply to people who have too much? What worries prompt you to want to diet?
Many people, when faced with dieting, feel as if dying might actually be easier. They've tried it, tried it many times. They've filled out the calorie charts, gone blind from reading the nutrition labels on hundreds of products at the grocery store, and passed the sleepless nights contemplating a midnight run for ice cream and cookies. They desperately want to lose weight, but can't.
There has been no end to the number of dieting books flooding the market the past several decades. The Christian market is no different, with some authors going so far as to equate fat with sin. I wonder if they realize that they're implying God only loves thin people?
Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are good reasons for needing to lose weight, but to gain the love and respect of God is not one of them. Nowhere in the Bible does God say, "I only love people who weigh less than 150 pounds." He's never implied that His love increases as our weight increases.
Toward the end of His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing?" (Matthew 6:25, NLT). The people Jesus was talking to were in a different situation--they had very little and worried they might not have enough. The person faced with dieting has a different situation, but the same worry--if I cut back, will I have enough? Jesus answer in both cases is, "trust Me."
And that's the hard part, isn't it? It's far easier to trust the things we see around us. We see thin people smiling and happy on TV. We see the models being adored by the men and women surrounding them. We see the confidence in their faces and want the same thing. God says, I want to give you all those things too. I love and accept you. I want to lead to friends who love and adore you. I want to give you the confidence to face any trial, any trouble you may face. But it's a different path that God calls us down. Can we trust Him?
Pray
Lord Jesus, help me to find the strength I need to trust you in all things--including my diet and my health. Amen.