I’ve learned a lot about dominion over eating by watching my son’s response to food over the years. He’s 16 today, and what I call a “slim-jim.” He’s always been thin and has never had food or eating issues.
He’s been an inspiration to watch because I was never the way he is. I was raised to eat everything on my plate, overeating was okay, stuffing yourself was normal on occasion, and so on. He has never believed any of this or accepted it. He has really been in touch with God on this subject.
What I’ve noticed in watching him is that he always stops eating when he’s full. It’s very simple for him. It doesn’t make any difference how much food is on his plate, what is being served, or even if his favorite dessert is available. He simply, flat out, will not eat it if he is full. And by “full” I don’t mean stuffed or really full. I mean “just enough.” He fills easily, with moderate portions of food. He will walk away from any food without giving it a second thought and not feel any loss at all if he figures he’s had enough to eat.
My explanation for his dominion over eating is the spiritual peace he feels within between himself and God. He does not equate happiness or contentment with material food. It’s a spiritual thing for him, not necessarily a conscious understanding, but a profound feeling he was born with that guides his decision-making in regards to food. He could “care less” about it, you might say. Food is definitely a “no-big-deal” for him.
I find major lessons about attitudes toward food in watching him. He lives out, without realizing it, Jesus admonition to “Take no thought about what you eat.” He doesn’t, either for pleasure or for entertainment. He has greater things to do with his life than idolize food.
And perhaps that is a key point—idolizing food.
To idolize food is to make a god of it—to bow down to it, honor it, worship it, fear it and live one’s life around it. This is a direct violation of the First Commandment, have no other gods than the one God.
When we focus immense attention on the content of food, the ramifications of what we eat, what to eat, what not to eat, and so on, haven’t we made food into a god? And it’s a god that is not God! So, what power is there in it? None!
I like my son’s attitude, and I’m still learning from it.
I like to cook. I like to try new recipes. I like to try new foods. I appreciate fine cooking. But sometimes, I have to stop and wonder, “Do I need to back off here and get my perspective on what real food is better in view?”
Food, the raw stuff that really matters, is not material. It’s spiritual. And when we find it in Truth, take it in, hold on to it and understand it, genuine contentment, satisfaction and joy settle into thought. It then becomes easy to walk away from the table. It’s easy to say no to unnecessary desserts. And it’s easy to not overeat.
Like my son, there are vastly more important things to do in life than take thought for food.
The food that leads to settled contentment comes from above and is built into our being. We’ve had it all along. God gave it to us. And there isn’t anything from the grocery store that can augment it.
Fabulous!
This is absolutely wonderful!! I can’t thank you-and Tyler-enough. It is exactly what I needed. Ithink I will post this one on my fridge and make a copy for my purse, to keep these ideas in view.
Tis so true! The world has gone amuck with attempts to find “it” in matter of all kinds of forms. The over-focus on food–what it can and can’t do for us or to us, good and bad–has gotten completely out of hand! :<( Thank you, Evan, for providing some vastly needed perspective on this issue! In all things, we all need to GET BACK TO (or stay with!) BASICS: Love and obey God, letting our divine wisdom guide us to better, more balanced human lives. This is the way to truly progress in our understanding of what it is to be God’s ideas, His children…fed and satisfied with divine ideas!! Yum!! :<))
Finally figured out why that word verification thing never worked before. You have to set your Cookies security to Low with MS IE.
Okay, word verification for comments works now, but the preview function still hangs up.
I can go off the deep gluttony end too, not with sweets though. But I also forget to eat sometimes when interested and absorbed in doing something, whether that something is conducive to eating/munching, like reading a good book, or not, as with arts and crafts.
The point is Evan, I’m disappointed. Without any theological considerations, a self-help guru out to make a buck — or just someone with actual beneficial experience — can point out that the easiest way to overcome any negative behavior, like overeating, is to find something better to do.
It seems that the application, achievements, and possibilties of CS are becoming more common and smaller as time goes by, and most of your posts reflect that.
Now and then you come up with some good ones though, so I’ll still check back from time to time.
To above,
My blog posts are not meant to be in-depth and thorough metaphysical explanations of Truth. They are more along the line of daily observations of Truth that have particular meaning to me, and maybe to someone else. I’m glad to read that some of them are helpful to you on occasion.
Lots of love,
Well, as far as I am concerned, the perspectives I’ve gained from your blogging are the deepest and best ever and have encouraged some of the biggest and most profound healings of my life.
More than anything it’s helped me recognize what spiritual qualities look like “walking down the street”. Before this I never could get a practical handle on how to “spiritualize thought”.
There’s nothing “smaller” about the ideas here for me!
Thanks for continuing to share.
Oh, thank you! I appreciate the vote of confidence.