What goes through your mind just before you put food into your mouth? Maybe you say some of these; mmmmm, this is good, or ohhh I want another, or these are so good, or I can’t stop they are sooooo delicious, etc.
Whatever you say, if you have trouble with overeating or eating junk food, your focus is on the food or the good feelings the flavor is giving you. The last thing you are thinking about is God.
You sit down to eat a meal and what is the first thing do? Well, if you are like most Christians, you say grace. Your focus is on thanking God for the food you are about to eat.
What about if you are at a big gathering? If it is a church gathering, your priest, minister or someone else is likely to say a prayer before everyone eats. If it is a non-church function it is likely there is no prayer said before eating.
In any of these situations, what are you thinking right after the prayer? Have you forgotten about God as you go into eating mode? Do you think of God while you are eating or has he left your mind as soon as the prayer was finished? Do you think about God at snack time?
I was no different than most of you. If I was eating a meal I would say grace, and as soon as I finished saying “amen” any thought of God was gone. When snack time came I never even thought about God.
One day after binging for the umpteenth time, I realized I had no control over my eating habits. I was at my wits end and begged God to help me.
The thought (when I have them I call them God thoughts, because I surely do not come up with them on my own), hit my like a 2×4 in the forehead and my head snapped back. Thank you Lord, for this nourishment. I was to say those 6 words before I took each bite of food. Let me repeat that, I was to say those 6 words before every bite. Not just at meal time, but when I snacked also. My first thought was, you’ve got to be kidding me.
I knew this did not come from my mind because the word nourishment is not part of my everyday vocabulary. Obviously, the word nourishment does not refer to junk food. It doesn’t refer to any type of food if you continue to eat after you are full.
Try this exercise:
Sit down at a table with some healthy food. Imagine Jesus is sitting across from you, smiling at you. Pick up the food, look at him and say, Thank you Lord for this nourishment. Take a bite, remember he is watching you, (don’t forget about his big smile)! Do it again. Notice how your focus stays on God while you eat? Talk about bringing a totally new intensity to eating.
Now, sit down at the table with some junk food. Imagine again, that Jesus is sitting across from you, smiling and watching you. Pick up the food, look at him and say, Thank you Lord, for this nourishment. Can you do it?
When I did this with healthy food I found it brought an intensity to eating I can’t even describe. I found I wasn’t devouring food like I used to and I was eating much slower and eating less.
When I tried it with junk food I couldn’t even do it at first. I felt ashamed for even thanking him for food that I knew would abuse my body (his temple). When I forced myself to do it, the junk food didn’t taste as good as it usually did and I felt dirty eating it.
I found when I committed to doing this, my eating habits improved drastically and I lost weight. When I neglected to do this I would slip back into my old habits of binging.
Give it a try, along with possibly losing weight you’ll gain a new eating buddy! God bless.
©Copyright 2008 Daniel Wychor All Rights Reserved Worldwide