I Wish I Knew How to Eat
By Heather Creekmore
And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) - Mark 7:18-19
Fat-free frozen yogurt was, perhaps, the greatest invention of all time. Or, at least, that’s what I believed in 1991. I followed Jesus and knew he was my Savior. But, my food rules—they were my Lord. And, because the gods of dieting proclaimed all fat-free foods acceptable earlier that year, I could fill my bowl with mint-chocolate chip goodness every day, and go back for more anytime I chose. The science of the day said carbs and sugar wouldn’t threaten the scale’s readout of my worth. Only the fat would make me fat. “Fro Yo” for breakfast, anyone? Don’t mind if I do.
Twenty years later, I found myself standing in my kitchen, staring at a pile of cashews, a jar of coconut oil, and a stick of butter. I was supposed to add a little Stevia and cocoa powder to create something called a “fat bomb.” Which, according to my careful macro calculations, to have the body of my dreams, I needed to eat seven fat-laden (and digestive system-wrecking) confections each day. In 2011, those same gods of dieting had now proclaimed carbs and sugar unclean. If I wanted to be skinny, I needed to eat more fat, not less.
I’m a type-A, people-pleasing, rule-following type of gal. Tell me how to be “good,” and I’ll embrace it. Tell me how to be “better,” and I’ll chase it until my legs wear out. But the race to improve my body has felt like four decades on a treadmill that won’t stop. There’s never a finish line, a medal, or a glorious and well-earned rest at the end. Instead, I fight constantly changing beauty standards and an aging body that is weary of being strapped to the roller coaster of food, exercise, and diet trends.
Eat this, not that. Eggs are good. No, eggs are bad. Oops, new study. Eggs are good again. I’ve treated food rules as if they were science from God himself. I’ve followed diet trends as if they were going to somehow save me from ever feeling rejection or pain. I’ve believed the lie of my body image idol that if I could just unlock the mystery of a perfect eating plan, then joy, peace, and rest would flood into my then perfectly-sized body and characterize my life.
But idols lie. And in all those years I spent following everyone else’s advice about how to diet or exercise, I learned to tune out this body God gave me. I disconnected from hunger cues as if they were demonic temptations rather than a call to nourish my body. I turned off my tastebuds as if finding satisfaction in the texture or taste of a delicious dish was a sensual sin. I took God’s good gift of food and trounced on it as an enemy coming to threaten my size and shape.
As I now stare my fiftieth birthday in the face, I have but one thought: I wish I knew how to eat.
It seems I’ve over-complicated, over-glorified, and over-focused on my relationship with food. The enemy doesn’t have to work hard to distract me from God’s calling on my life, all he has to do is have a co-worker show up with donuts or a Girl Scout ring my doorbell. Boom. I’m rendered less useful for the kingdom for a solid day or week as I engage in mental gymnastics over whether or not to eat the Thin Mints.
As summer approaches, my prayer is to make this year different. I don’t want to miss yet another season obsessing over what to eat (or not eat) so that I can look marginally lighter in my tankini. I have to renew my mind with the truth that God’s not against food. He’s not waiting to play “gotcha” when I ask for a little more of that yummy potato salad at the barbeque. God’s going to throw us a tremendous feast when we get to heaven. And here’s the kicker. Those glorified bodies won’t even need to eat. He’s going to bless us with delicious food anyway!
What if the way to be truly beautiful has nothing to do with what’s on my plate?
What if I stop believing the lie of my body image idol and instead declare that my body is God’s and no matter what shape or size it currently is, He has a purpose and plan for me?
Our culture has programmed us to follow the food trends as our path to a body size that will set us free. But just watch. Those carbs that we weren’t supposed to eat just a few years ago are coming back into style. Deep dish pizza, anyone? The rules are always changing.
The only way to feel truly healthy, confident, and beautiful in my body isn’t about what’s on my plate; it’s about letting the light and love of Christ shine through me. I can be set free from those manmade eating rules and trust my Lord and the Creator of my body to guide and direct my food choices better than anyone else can.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
How does knowing that God isn’t waiting for you to get your “act together” with food before He can use you free you today? Has shame or pride around food choices had an impact on your walk with the Lord? In what ways have you followed culture’s rules around food instead of seeing food and your body as a good gift from the Lord?
Further Reading:
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Matthew 6:25
1 Corinthians 10:31
Want More From Heather?
Are you a Christian woman who is tired of the same old answers to your body image and comparison struggles? Have you "tried everything," yet still feel like your body isn't enough or should be better? Do you know that "God looks at the heart" or "You're fearfully and wonderfully made" yet STILL feel like maybe God should have made your body better? If you answered yes to any of the above, then Compared to Who? A Biblical Approach to Body Image Issues is the show for you! Listen to an episode by clicking the play button below, and be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
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