I am not sure if there is an issue that American Christian women (and American women in general) have more baggage about than food. Even writing this makes me want to add disclaimers. We swing from one extreme to the other—from rigid restriction to weary overindulgence. We set out to be disciplined, then collapse in discouragement.
We know gluttony is wrong. We know vanity is wrong. What we don’t always know is how to tell when our good desire to be healthy and strong has become something ultimate.
It’s Ultimately About the Heart
As Tim Keller has said, idolatry is taking a good thing and making it an ultimate thing. In other words, an idol is not always obviously evil. It’s something we look to for identity, security, or righteousness. It is what we think will finally quiet the noise in our heads that we tells us are not okay.
It’s not wrong to want to look our best. It’s wrong to think our worth is determined by what we see in the mirror. It’s not wrong to enjoy the good gift of food. It’s wrong to turn to food for comfort that only Christ can provide. It’s not wrong to pursue good health. It’s wrong to use lifestyle choices as a measuring stick for our (or another’s) righteousness.
And this idolatry is a heart issue, it’s not something we can diagnose by looking at our own (or someone else’s) body.
Dieting and Stewardship
For many of us, it means untangling a lot of bad habits and bad thoughts. The question is more than “Should I diet?” The question is “What am I hoping dieting will give me?”
Do you tend to think of certain foods as good and bad (and therefore feel self-righteousness or self loathing when you eat them)?
Do you think a certain number on the scale will make you “good enough”?
Do you look down on others if they don’t prioritize eating and exercise like you do?
Many of us would benefit from wiser eating and more movement. That is not controversial. But even wise changes can become disordered if they are driven by fear, pride, or self-salvation.
You Belong to Christ
Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. When we frame our health goals this way, it helps us determine what we need to pursue. Your body is not a project or a burden. It is a gift that has been entrusted to you. And like all of God’s gifts, we need to steward it well.
Is this diet going to improve your health? Is changing your eating habits going to enable you to glorify God, or is it going to make you anxious and preoccupied?
The gospel brings freedom. Our worth is not measured by our actions, because we can claim Christ’s righteousness as our own. This enables us to respond to that gift with grateful service. Not as a way to earn favor, but to bring Christ glory.
That should affect every aspect of our lives. But most of us view our health as a separate, unrelated issue. But stewarding our health, whatever that may be, has a direct impact on how we glorify God.
Some of us are limited by illness or pain. The God who sees was not disappointed in the servant with two talents (Matthew 25:23). But many of us bury our gifts in a different way. We either obsessively chase a body that will never save us, or neglect the strength God has already given.
Diet if you need to. Don’t diet if you don’t.
But do not look to food, or the absence of it, to do what only Christ can do.
Steward your body. Enjoy your food. Examine your heart.
And remember: you already belong to him.
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