Finding Comfort In Jesus, Not Food

Having a healthy relationship with food is the secret to long-term success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I really despise the word  “diet”. These crazy programs and fad diets often lead people down a path of shame, depression, and to top it all of,f they don't really help you to reach your goals. I have been in the fitness industry for 35 years and have heard from SO many women who lose weight on a diet only to put it all (and more) back on.   I'm also not a big fan of the term "comfort food," which often leads to a vicious cycle of guilt and diets a few months down the road, so I want to encourage you to focus on having a comforting relationship with Jesus and not seek out diets or comfort from food.   What If….   You were so excited about being who God created you to be, which is someone who lives fully, filled with strength, energy, and love, AND you understood that what you eat affects this? You started to look at food as a way to give your body the fuel it needs? You didn't gorge on unhealthy food because you knew that it would take away from your quality of life? You finally really understood Jesus is your source of comfort, not food, and when your emotions are running high, you turn to Him as your Comforter and His loving arms instead of a donut?   OH HOW I WANT THIS FOR YOU AND BELIEVE IT CAN BE YOUR STORY!   I struggle to write “look at food as a way to give your body the fuel it needs” because I don't want you to think you can't enjoy food, and it's only to fuel your body. God gave us food for both enjoyment and nutrition. I love to sit around a table with friends and family to share a great-tasting meal and a glass of wine. The other night I had bread at dinner, and as my husband and I watched a movie, we each had a big bowl of popcorn. I have no guilt over this. I eat really healthy 80% of the time, and I'm good with that. Now, for the other 20% I'm not eating sugar and completely overindulging, but I will enjoy a cheeseburger and fries or a slice of pizza from time to time.   Food is not your enemy, but it's also not your comforter. Diets don't work, but eating healthy most of the time does. I love this poem from a book called *“Gods At War” by Kyle Edelman:  

Jesus My Portion

"The god of food promised us a feast but we came up empty.

He invited us to consume until it consumed our lives.

We tasted everything until nothing had taste anymore.

And so finally we came to Jesus. 

We discovered that he offers the one true feast.

He fills our every need.

Every hunger ultimately leads back to him.

  Jesus frees us from an abusive, dysfunctional relationship with food because he is our portion and in him we discover what we were searching for all along.   If we seek our joy and meaning in food, then the source of our joy always disappears and always must be found again — a consumable god.   It is different with Jesus. Nothing tastes better than the joy and satisfaction of knowing Christ.    Nothing nourishes the soul as he does. Nothing feeds and strengthens and renews us like the time we spend with him each day."   Please, please - don't diet and don't seek food out as your source of comfort. Eat healthy most of the time. Food won't heal your soul, but in Jesus you will find healing, comfort, freedom, love, peace, joy, and all you need!   *If you are interested in purchasing this book and shop through the smile.amazon.com link above, choose Faithful Workouts as your charit,y and Amazon will donate a portion of the sale to our ministry. Thank you!!