Diet & Wisdom Appetizers

I have a friend who shared with our support group that when she feels like eating something she’s not supposed to, she stops and asks God if it’s okay for her to indulge. If He says “yes” she feels free to indulge without guilt. If He says “no” she won’t eat it. Of course she said there are those days when she forges ahead and doesn’t even bother to ask God’s permission and she eats what she wants and usually suffers the guilt afterwards.

I find myself to be in the category of “never bothering to ask God’s permission” regarding anything that I eat. Therein lays my biggest problem and one that makes me feel like a chronic failure. So many times I fail to include God in my menu planning and my daily caloric intake.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out how I go from “get out of my way before I eat everything I put my hand to,” to “please, Lord God, come in and stop me before I do irreparable damage.” So often when I want what I want it’s because I’m having an anxiety attack or mental meltdown. There is NO time for rational thought, let alone quiet time with God.

If it were simply that easy to stop and ask God’s permission before we eat, believers in the body of Christ would never struggle with their weight. Because there are so many of us who are battling food addictions and weight issues, it’s slightly more complicated than simply asking God for help.

I started thinking on the concept of praying before meal time. We used to have to pray all the time before meals when I was growing up. When my children were little we always prayed for meals, but I confess, we’ve gotten away from that. Sometimes I stop and pray before I eat, but usually only for a sit down meal. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped and prayed over a bag of popcorn at the movies, an ICEE and pretzel at the mall or any other number of snacks I’ve consumed over my lifetime.

Perhaps, the restraint would be there if we took the time to get in the habit of praying before we ate anything – no matter how large or small. I have a tendency to think that taking time out for prayer might actually keep me from eating that handful of gummi bears I know I’m not supposed to be eating. Praying about the food makes us accountable for the food.

Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts for which we are about to receive…

You never know, this might be an undiscovered diet secret that ensures absolute success. Rather than waiting until it’s too late and we’re wracked with guilt over what we’ve eaten that we know we shouldn’t have eaten, how about a preemptive strike.

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him. ~William McGill

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Matthew 26:41 (NLT)

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Lord, I ask that you would help me remember to stop and take the time to pray BEFORE I eat ANYTHING, no matter how small. Make me cognizant of the mindless eating I tend to do and help me to stick to my menu plan without giving in to temptation. I want to gain control over my food addictions, but unless you step in and help me Lord Jesus, I am doomed to failure because I know I cannot do this without your help. I ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.