That Each Of Them May Eat And Drink And Find Satisfaction In All Their Toilthis Is The Gift Of God Ecclesiastes : 13
You may not be a farmer growing the produce you eat in your kitchen, but you do work hard to put food on the table. Enjoy it and be satisfied!
In my experience, when it comes to junk food, there is often not much satisfaction. I can eat an entire box of fruit snacks, a full bag of chips, or 5,000 calories of Nutty Bars and I still wont be satisfied. I think I will be, so I convince myself to eat just one moreuntil I have no more left to eat.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, when I eat healthy meals, making sure they have enough protein, fiber, and flavor , I am almost always left satisfied. I eat until Im full and then I stop. Its a wondrous thing when you discover your stomach can actually alert you when its had enough.
This Scripture is a beautiful reminder that it is a good and godly thing to find joy in eating! Eat, drink, be satisfied, and feel the gratitude for the food that God has blessed us with .
Why Eating Right And Exercising Glorifies God
While donating money, time and ones belongings to the Church is important, giving your body to the Lord, through adherence to a proper diet and exercise regime, is one of the most important gifts that you can give to God.
Tithing is an important part of Christianity. Donating 10% of your income to the Church is seen by Christians as an essential part of their faith. Many, however, ignore the fact that taking care of ones own body is also a part of tithing.
Tithing is a key part of Christianity as the tithe belongs to God. So too, however, does your body. While donating money, time and ones belongings to the Church is important, giving your body to the Lord, through adherence to a proper diet and exercise regime, is one of the most important gifts that you can give to God its inherent difficulty bestows great value upon it.
3 things the bible teaches us about our body weight
1. Our bodies belong to God.
In his letter to Corinthians , Paul highlights the importance of the tenet that our bodies belong to God, while also emphasising that we must not, under any circumstances, allow our bodies to become slaves to anything, specifically referring to the lust for food, as well as our sexual appetite.
Learning how to keep the body in optimum health, through diet and exercise, as well as resisting the desire to give into the temptation of overeating, requires much dedication and mental strength, but is a formidable means of giving thanks to the Lord.
2. Gluttony is a sin
What Is The Best Biblical Eating Plan
What is a Biblical eating plan? Is it eating manna like the Israelites or fish and bread like Jesus? OR, is it about the heart? In this post, you will learn how to apply the truths of the new covenant to how you eat. It will transform how you see diets!
As I cracked open the crisp, new pages of that diet book, I felt a surge of excitement fill my chest. Immediately, I flipped back to the approved food list. Anxious to see what I could and couldnt eat that excitement dropped 18 inches to my stomach where it landed like a rock.
All of the food I cant eat
If you come from a dieting past like I do, the idea of having to discipline your food choices may be old news. But, no matter how many plans you try or books you buy, the idea of restriction still makes you want to eat ALL. the. food.
If you can relate, this post is for you.
Over the years I have come to see diets for what they really are. Whether you package the plan as clean eating or a Biblical eating plan, its all the same Even a Bible Diet food list can become our law and the law cannot change our hearts. Only God, in His grace, can.
I believe that your eyes will be opened to why you still continue to struggle with food and overcoming overeating, even though you are trying hard to do better.
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Is A Bible Eating Plan The Answer
In this case, diets are not all bad and there is no bad food. For example, if we are unable to stick with a healthy eating plan, then its a decent clue that there are some deeper challenges living beneath the surface.
Because of this, we can see our unsuccessful attempts, not as personal failures, but as indicators that we are trying to solve the wrong problem.
Such was the transition from the Old Testament law to the New Testament message of grace. The Law simply points out what we cannot do on our own and directs us to only that which can- Gods grace.
Even prior to the law coming on the scene after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, we see God putting law into practice. This is because we have free will for a purpose our choices reveal our hearts.
Weighing In: What Does The Bible Say About Health And Fitness
Good health is something we tend to take for granted until we get sickit is then that we start reflecting upon our diet, routines and daily habits. While God created our bodies to be resilient, we are fragile in the sense that we are like machines. When we ingest things in excess, expose ourselves to toxins and do not exercise our machine, the body begins to function improperly. The Bible is like our owners manual, telling us what we need to do to keep ourselves in optimal condition.
The Bible has provided detailed health instruction back to the time of Moses. The laws given by God to Moses outline parameters and guidelines to follow regarding public health issues pertaining to water and food contamination, sewage disposal, infectious diseases and health education. These issues were addressed in the Mosaic health laws. These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. These instructions were given to keep people during this time from eating potentially contaminated food.
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Turning To The Bible For Weight Loss With The Daniel Diet
Diet encourages eating mainly raw vegetables
The Daniel Diet, inspired by the Biblical prophet Daniel, has become a popular diet among some U.S. Protestant congregations to help encourage healthy eating.
According to two passages in the Bible, Daniel fasted twice. During the first fast, he ate only vegetables and water to set himself apart for God. For a second fast mentioned in a later chapter, Daniel stopped eating meat, wine and other rich foods.
Pastors across the country are encouraging their congregations to participate in similar fasts or diets inspired by these passages to kick start weight loss and to strengthen their faith.
In Hawaii, the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu at Ko’olau holds an annual 21 “Daniel Fast” for congregants to not only encourage healthy eating, but to help people keep their faith by refocusing their attention on their diet.
“We hope the Fast will help reset your spiritual compass, which can get rusty and out of whack because of everyday cares and concerns,” First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu Pastor Dan Chun wrote on his diet support website.
The Saddleback Church, which has a congregation of at least 20,000, has launched a website and book, co-written by head pastor Rick Warren, to promote a long term version of the diet renamed “The Daniel Plan.”
“I had this thought, it wasn’t very spiritual, but it was ‘We’re all fat,'” said Warren.
Does The Bible Provide A Diet Plan For Us
While the Bible doesnt prescribe any specific diet plan, it does highlight the principle of balancebetween healthy restraint and enjoyment of rich foods. In other words, make a habit of disciplined, healthy eating, but on occasion let yourself enjoy a feast of Gods good gifts. Looking forward to the feasts will help keep you going during the seasons of restraint. Interestingly, that distillation of the Bibles wisdom on eating is the same conclusion that dieticians have reached after thousands of years of scientific research. In Scripture God truly does provide all things that pertain to life and godliness .
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John : 35 Jesus Said To Them I Am The Bread Of Life Whoever Comes To Me Shall Not Hunger And Whoever Believes In Me Shall Never Thirst
Have you ever had an insatiable hunger? You know, the kind that sneaks up on you after a busy day of forgotten meals? When our stomachs are begging for food, it is ALL we can think about.
Have you ever had an insatiable hunger and yet not been physically hungry? Trying to fill that empty void with food will only deprive us of good health both physically and spiritually. Jesus has promised us that He can FILL that void, no food required. But, we need to ask.
You can learn how to eat only when hungry when your spirit is quenched.
Freshman Fifteen And The Tc Marathon
I did not play baseball in college, but loved intramurals year-round: flag football, basketball, and softball. I continued to lift weights on and off. I also ran on and off, but senior year I became more regular in my running. I dont think my motivations were particularly holy. I mainly wanted to lose the weight I had put on in the college cafeteria.
After graduation I moved to Minneapolis to study theology and do campus ministry at the University of Minnesota. Doing campus ministry kept me active, as a typical social activity was meeting up to lift weights or run together. In fact, for the relationships, I signed up to run the Twin Cities Marathon in 2004. I trained all summer. Ran a half marathon that felt delightful afterwards. Ran the full marathon in early October and really hit the wall at mile 20. It was not a pleasant experience. I told myself while slogging out those last six miles never to run a marathon again.
But somehow, come the following April, I forgot about that, signed up again, and in October 2005, while running the marathon again, I again hit the wall at mile 20, and then realized, Oh yeah, I said Id never do this again! What am I doing? I have not run a marathon since.
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Find Encouragement And Hope
When you feel like quitting or feel like a failure, turn to the truth of Gods Word for peace and encouragement.
The weight loss journey is a long one. Remember that whatever you do to lose the weight is what you need to do to maintain, so these arent quick changes but instead adjustments in habits that will be for the long haul.
After I had lost about 80 pounds, I hit a long plateau. I didnt lose any weight for over a year. Discouragement hit me hard. During this time, I turned to Gods Word for guidance.
Wherever you are in your weight loss journey, God is ready to meet you there.
Finding Fitness In The Bible
The above verses talk about training and perseverance, but what about the actual mode of fitness? What did the people of the Bible do with their bodies to stay in the game? Where did Samson strength train? And why doesnt the Bible have more rules about exercising like we do?
Fitness became a whole revolution in itself after the industrial revolution, so biblical times predate the necessity for the average joe to hit the gym. Life was more physically demanding in biblical times and necessitated regular activity.
We can find all kinds of movement all throughout the Bible: most occupations started out with agriculture and raising children, people traveled by foot, fought with their hands, and made a living with very little technology as we know it today. Jesus Himself was a carpenter and manual laborer, He and his disciples traveled and ministered on foot, and hiked mountains to pray. And we must not forget that worship itself is primarily physical:
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What Did Paul Teach
Therefore, do not allow anyone to judge you in eating or in drinking, or with regard to a festival, or new moon, or the Sabbaths
Much of Christianity will tell you that the laws concerning diet, God’s annual Feast Days, etc. were done away after the death of Christ. The Bible does not teach this.
A review of church history shows that false teachings concerning the law, the change of Sabbath to Sunday, the change from Passover to Easter, and others were brought into the Church during the period from about 100 to 300 A.D.
The majority of believers in Colossae were, prior to their conversion, Gentiles and not Jews. They had not grown up learning about the law of God or trying to put in practice his commandments like someone with a Jewish background. In their lives, they had eaten all kinds of unclean animals like pork in their diet.
Paul was actually teaching the Colossian church to observe the Bible laws of clean and unclean foods, to keep the Sabbath and so on in spite of what others throught!
There is absolutely no Bible basis for teaching that God’s laws of clean and unclean have been abolished and therefore can be ignored in the diet of a Christian. The distinction between what is clean and unclean will still be extant in the End Time when God judges Babylon .
Whats The Best Weight Loss Program
As someone who has lost 100 pounds and been maintaining it for the last 10 years, I often have people ask me, What is the best weight loss program?
The truth is that there is no one right weight loss program for everyone. I personally like Weight Watchers and have had great success with it, but counting points might not be for everyone and that is okay. Lost of members of our online Christian womens fitness program use keeping a food log or app such as My Fitness Pal. Some of our members follow a Keto or Paleo lifestyle.
The essential element of any weight loss program is that you must eat fewer calories than you burn. How you do this can be done in a number of ways however, any weight loss plan you choose must, in addition to a calorie deficit, give you overall healthy nutrition, enough calories to sustain energy for your busy days, and help you feel your best.
Plus, the food needs to taste good because food is delicious!
Choose a plan that is realistic to stick with for the long term. Juice cleanses, detoxes, and cabbage soup diets for weight loss might work for the short term, but they dont lead to long-term success.
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God Will Always Provide Food For You
Sometimes we worry so much and God is just trying to calm us down and tell us to put our mind on Him. Trust in Him. He will never fail you.
25. Matthew 6:25 For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
A Look At Exercise In The Bible
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Currently Im reading the Daniel Planby Rick Warren. It actually wasnt on my to-read this month list, but since Im STILL on the waiting list for another health and fitness book, and this book seems to also be taking the market by storm, I thought Id give it a try while researching exercise in the Bible.
While I would say many of the health suggestions therein could probably be found elsewhere on the market, I have appreciated Warrens inclusion of faith in the health equation. I dont know about you but for me getting and staying healthy is a constant challenge. Its probably one of the goals I find the hardest to stick with and thats because I usually leave it to my own will-power to accomplish and not Gods. What does God have to do with it? Well has Rick Warren so gently reminded mea lot.
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How To Pray For Exercise
Finally, then, as weve seen, according to 1 Timothy 4:45, it is not enough only to hear what God has to say about our bodily exercise. Making it holy also involves prayer asking God for help. We consecrate our bodies, and our exercise, to God by the word of God and prayer through what he says and what we say back. But in addition to rehearsing his revealed truths about our bodies, what do we say back?
What Does The Bible Say About Food And Eating
Whether meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, etc. All food is more than a source of energy. It is a blessing from the Lord. When Scripture talks about food its not always talking about the physical. Sometimes it is talking about the spiritual and the spiritual food is something that most people neglect and that is why many are not healthy.
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