Food Abuse

I gained 5 lbs last week. I had visitors, so we traveled and ate out a lot. I cooked fat-laden meals and desserts. We did a lot of social and recreational eating and very little exercising.

I ate more food than my body needed. I used food improperly, in a harmful and injurious manner. This is the definition of abuse. If I took more than the prescribed amount of a medicine, it would be called drug abuse. When I eat more calories than I should, it’s perfectly acceptable.

“Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” (1 Cor. 6:19 NLT)

This verse is quoted most often as a warning against sexual immorality and self-indulgence. However, most of us who recognize the damage of other forms of bodily injury, tend to downplay the harm we do daily through our food choices. Why? Because it’s a common, acceptable practice. If everyone around us is self-indulgent, morally lax, drinking, using drugs, or promiscuous, we tend to think of that as the new normal. And anyone who speaks up against these common practices is viewed as a contrarian.

Our bodies are vehicles through which God gets around. We are just chauffeurs, driving our Master’s cars. Chauffeurs are expected to maintain the cars they drive, not to abuse them. Likewise, we are duty-bound to care for our bodies and not abuse them.