Skip to content
Truth Talk with Dawn
Truth Talk with Dawn
  • HOME
  • CURRENT POSTS
    • ARCHIVES (From Upgrade with Dawn Site)
  • ABOUT DAWN
    • WHAT I BELIEVE
    • WHY TRUTH TALK?
  • CONTACT
  • RESOURCES
    • Downloads
    • Video
Truth Talk with Dawn
Truth Talk with Dawn

Three Things God Says about Food

I got to know Kate Hagen as we grieved together after her mom’s passing. I read her thoughts and recognized she was a excellent writer. I’ve since discovered her love of God’s Word. In this Health UPGRADE, Kate invites us to examine lies we might believe about food. Actually, Kate’s full title for this post is “Three Things God Says about Food (and How It Can Make You Happy).”

Kate says, “There is a voice that whispers lies in my ears: ‘Being thin will satisfy me. Eating will make me happy.’”

I (Dawn) am glad Kate had the courage to confront that voice so she can share some biblical wisdom with others who struggle.

Kate continues . . .

When I was eight, I discovered something bad about myself—I was chubby. It was a new, undeveloped shame, but, it was a growing one. I learned if I could just be skinny, I would be happy.

Now, over 30 years later, I fight that belief. But, it still lingers.

When I see a woman who is thin and fit, there’s a little voice in my head whispering, “Kate, you’d be happier if you looked like her. When you finally lose five pounds you’ll be satisfied.” (Some years it’s been a lot more than five pounds.)

At times, I have lost that weight. And, you know what, I wasn’t happier. Not really.

There’s another voice.

This one tells me food will satisfy me and bring me life. It tempts, “Kate, if you get up and get a bag of potato chips, you’ll feel happy.”

I have obeyed that voice many times. It never makes me happy.

Are these voices from God? Do the Bible authors write about how we should eat, drink or view our bodies?

I’ve spent a lot of time digging in Scripture to find these answers. I have found three  recurring truths I can no longer ignore.

1. God gave me a body so that I can reflect His image.

This humbles me when I quietly reflect on its magnificence. God has placed within me a representation of Him. Others “see” God’s image through my physical body. I mirror God! (Genesis 1:27)

Woah. That’s a lot more lofty than being hopeful I can look cute in my bathingsuit.

2. God gave me food as a blessing—to be enjoyed and to draw me to gratitude.

Although there are certain foods some of us should be cautious of, Scripture says food does not commend us to God (1 Corinthians 8:8). He’s not happier with me when I eat spinach instead of cookies. It’s what comes out of my mouth and heart that matters (Mark 7:19).

Food is one of the gifts God gives me—a blessing that can draw me into worship of the One who provides! (Deuteronomy 8:10)

3. God’s food is eternal.

Feasting on the Spirit of Jesus is what truly nourishes and fills me. It is food that lasts forever! (John 6:1-15; 25-69)

Therefore, we don’t need to worry about what we eat or drink! (Matthew 6:25). The thought of NEVER worrying about what I’m eating is so freeing. I think I’ll follow Jesus on this one!

When I’m tempted to eat when I’m not hungry, I now shout over the whispering lie:

“Food will not satisfy me! Jesus’ Spirit satisfies my soul.”  

All of the times I’ve been overweight, it’s been because I was eating when I wasn’t hungry. Now I know I was eating like this to satisfy some lack I was feeling; I believed that somehow food would satisfy.

But, Food DOES NOT SATISFY MY SOUL!  It satisfies my hunger. Only Jesus can satisfy my soul (John 6:35).

Here’s a practical tip.

Only eat when you’re hungry. If you’re eating when you’re not hungry, question what your soul is lacking. It’s your soul, not your stomach that needs to be filled if you eat when unnecessary. But, don’t view this as law; it’s merely a principle that leads us to Jesus (our true food).

When that other voice tempts, “I’ll be happier when I’m thinner,” I sometimes have the courage to shout over the whispering lie. I say, “Being thin will not make me happy!”

When WILL I be happy if it’s not when I’m thinner?

The crazy thing is, I can be happy NOW, before I look good in a bathing suit. Why? Because God’s Spirit is in me. I have been seen and known by God. Jesus has shown me a perfect way to be human. That’s good news that brings me true, deep, real happiness.

Here’s another practical tip.

The moment you feel yourself envying someone else’s body or longing to be thinner, let the phrase repeat in your head, “Being thin won’t make me happy. Loving Jesus makes me happy.”

Jesus so beautifully said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25)

What do you tell your soul when those whispering lies come?

Kate Hagen spends most of her time teaching, knowing and loving her three kids in their beach community of Leucadia, CA. She has a Master’s Degree in Biblical Counseling and has written, spoken and counseled women about mothering, body image and health. She runs a small essential oil business from her home, and usually smells pretty good. At her website you can read her journey of grieving and laughing as her mom passed of cancer, as well as her thoughts on the Bible and body image.

Graphics adapted: “Whisper” (cupped ear), courtesy of Morguefile, and Cinnamon rolls courtesy of Adam Kontor at Pixabay.

Choices Health

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The Sins We Can’t Forget
  • Telling Our Story to the Next Generation
  • Plan Wisely . . . Now!
  • From Secret to Courageous Follower
  • How to Resist Sinful Reactions

Recent Comments

  1. Sally Ferguson on Do You Have Spiritual Dementia?
  2. Kathy Collard Miller on Do You Have Spiritual Dementia?
  3. Robin Steinweg on Colliding with My Destiny from God
  4. Kathy Collard Miller on Courage for Resisting the ‘Fear of Man’
  5. Sally Ferguson on ‘Wait-Lifting’ for the New Year

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • October 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024

Categories

  • Accountability
  • Activism
  • Adoption
  • Appearance
  • Ashamed of Christ
  • Attitudes
  • Bible Study
  • Biblical Discernment
  • Biblical Thinking
  • Biblical Womanhood
  • Brunch
  • Career
  • Caregiving
  • Character
  • Choices
  • Christian Education
  • Christian Life
  • Christlike
  • Christmas
  • Communication
  • Compassion
  • Cooking
  • Courage
  • Discernment
  • Discipleship
  • Dreams
  • DYI
  • Easter
  • Education
  • Elderly
  • Elections
  • Encouragement
  • Evangelism
  • Faith
  • Faith stories
  • Faithfulness
  • Family
  • Fashion
  • Father's Day
  • Fear
  • Fear of God
  • Fear of Man
  • Fighting Fear
  • Finances
  • Finishing Well
  • Fitness
  • Focus
  • Food
  • Forgiveness
  • Friendships
  • Fundraising
  • Generation
  • Gifts
  • Goals
  • Good Friday
  • Gossip
  • Graduation
  • Grandparenting
  • Gratitude
  • Grief
  • Habits
  • Health
  • Holidays
  • Holy Living
  • Holy Spirit
  • Homemaking
  • Homeschooling
  • Hope
  • Hospitality
  • Humility
  • In Christ
  • In-Laws
  • Independence Day
  • Influence
  • Journaling
  • Joy
  • July 4th
  • Kindness
  • Knowing God
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Legacy
  • Lifestyle
  • Lordship of Christ
  • Loving God
  • Loving People
  • Marriage
  • Mentoring
  • Military
  • Ministry
  • Miscarriage
  • Missions
  • Mother's Day
  • New Year
  • Obedience
  • Organization
  • Parenting
  • Patience
  • Patriotism
  • Peace
  • Perseverance
  • Personal Care
  • Personal Growth
  • Perspective
  • Popular
  • Practical Theology
  • Praise God
  • Prayer
  • Priorities
  • Purity
  • Purpose
  • Recipes
  • Relationship with God
  • Relationships
  • Rest
  • Revival
  • Romance
  • Salvation
  • Scripture Memorization
  • Self-Care
  • Seniors
  • Service
  • Sexuality
  • Single Christians
  • Spiritual Authority
  • Spiritual Blessings
  • Spiritual Growth
  • Spiritual Life
  • Spiritual Maturity
  • Stewardship
  • Teenagers
  • Thanksgiving
  • The Cross
  • The Culture
  • Time Management
  • Tips
  • Transformation
  • Trials
  • Trusting God
  • Uncategorized
  • Upgrade – General
  • Upgrade Your Life
  • UPLIFT Encouragement
  • UPLIFT Stories
  • Valentines Day
  • Victory
  • Vision
  • Voting
  • Waiting on God
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom
  • Witnessing
  • Woman's Worth
  • Women's Groups
  • Wonder
  • Word of God
  • Work
  • Worldviews
  • Worship

Tags

Ashamed of Christ Biblical Thinking Burial of Jesus Contentment Courage Dawn Wilson Good Friday Guilty Feelings Joseph of Arimathea Kathy Collard Miller Nicodemus Prophecy Fulfilled Secret believer Secret Follower of Jesus Sinful Responses Spiritual growth Spiritual Maturity Trust God Truth Talk with Dawn Wisdom

Archive

©Dawn Marie Wilson, 2024