The Significance of God's Word on Food, Eating, and Cultural View of Food

Food is an essential part of everyone’s lives. Food allows humans to feel energized, it nourishes them, heals them, and satisfies their hunger. However, as with everything else in the world, too much of anything isn’t beneficial for someone. As people have the tendency to overdo things in the current society, they also tend to overeat and overdrink, and overall, abuse their advantage of having access to food. There are still those that die of hunger everyday because the human society has such a substantial greed that rather than accepting the love of God and spreading this love, they choose to reject God and be showered in their desires, wants, and needs, whether ethical or unethical. This paper will analyze God’s word as it pertains to food, eating, and the cultural view of food by showing how particular Scriptures apply to the topic of nutrition, the societal view of food within society, and the personal meanings each of these Scriptures have for me.

According to 1 Corinthians 10:31 , “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” What this implicates is that since God is the greatest good within this universe being omniscient and omnipotent, then being inclined to the good in this world means being inclined to God and desiring to be like God. Whenever one eats and drinks, one shouldn’t forget that they’re always in the presence of God, and shouldn’t do anything that wouldn’t glorify God. Moreover, this verse is concerned with nutrition in regard to how it instructs its audience to present God with the appreciation and thanks one should have from him allowing the human kind the capacity to be able to eat and drink. This verse relates to the current culture of food because people tend to overeat, throw away leftovers, drink excessive amounts of alcohol; all of which are actions that don’t contribute to glorifying food. One needs to be aware of their actions, including something as simple as eating. God’s instructions for the humankind such as the 1 Corinthians 10:31 not only provides an acceptable way to provide glory for God, but it also ensures that the human body is healthy.

According to the Proverbs 23:19-21 , one should shy away from drinking too much wine or gorging themselves on meat. It’s stated that doing so will result in one being poor and left in rags rather than in riches. This verse directly deals with the current society’s state. Not only do people throw away their entire lives over alcohol, but there is also the relentless hunger and poverty that’s generated from others’ greed. By adhering to this verse, one could avoid such instances of losing everything and being in poverty. If people pushed away the idea of getting enjoyment out of being intoxicated and ruining their health and if people weren’t so hungry with their eyes, and only took what they needed, then the poverty generated out of these situations could most likely be prevented. God’s Word provides guidance for those who are lost.

According to Romans 12:1-2 , one shouldn’t be a sheep and follow the patterns of this world. God expects people to be independent, have strong wills, and be able to have the will power that won’t conform to the rest of the ideas, knowing what is good for them and what God desires of them. For example, being obese, anorexic, having bulimia, or any other eating disease points to the weak willness of the current society. I’m not saying that there could be tangible reasons as to why someone might have such a disease, but most of the time it is due to someone wanting to follow such a pattern. A person might be anorexic, for example, because they don’t feel confident in their own skin, want to be like everyone else who is skinny, and don’t love themselves. However, it is God’s wish that one first loves themselves, and doesn’t follow others’ examples of corruption, and one way of doing this is treating our bodies right by consuming the right nutrition while avoiding ones that can do us bodily damage. I especially revere this quote and live by it, for I try to ensure that I am eating correctly, in a way that I am fully nourished but without impacting the love I have for God in any negative way. I try my best to eat as little as meat as possible, and completely shy away from any type of alcohol. I would not want my judgment to be impaired, nor would like to contribute to the state the world is currently in.

Additionally, 1 John 2:16-17a explains how the wants and desires one has in this world, such as their hunger for an unreasonable amount of food or their thirst for another drink, doesn’t continue on after their death. All the sins one is able to commit, such as their lust for food or love, is generated within the world and by the society. The free will God has provided us allows humans to make bad decisions, but prior to making these decisions they offered a pathway for doing otherwise. Therefore, this verse makes one remember that all the poverty and evil that does occur in the world isn’t due to God, but is due to the greed, gluttony, and lust of humans. It’s important for one to come to the realization that the sins of gluttony and drunkenness will remain in this world as we make our leave. The only thing that should matter for a person is the relationship they have with God, including their love and faith for God.

As can be seen, God’s Word provides a pathway for the society, so we steer away from what’s wrong, and implement in our lives what is right and moral, which consists of ensuring that we consume the right foods and don’t damage the body that God has provided us. God’s Word recommends that our love for God and God’s love for us should surpass any sinful desire. Last, but not least, Verse 18 allows one to remember that a life can be thoroughly enjoyed without having to commit sins. It acknowledges that food and drink, like everything else in this universe, is a present given to the humankind by God, and if utilized appropriately and in moderation, these gifts of God can be delightful and advantageous for our overall well-being. If food and drink is used in a way that God didn’t mean for it to be used, than humans shouldn’t be surprised at the turmoil it brings.