Serving God With Your Choices

Throughout my life, one could consider me a "foodie". Though I never had a bad relationship with food in the past, after moving out on my own, I ate semi-healthful diet as a young adult, but I based my food choices on pleasure over purpose. 

Living in Hollywood, I enjoyed salads, vegan subs and whole wheat pastas and chicken when at home. So I thought I was golden to eat whatever I wanted on my "off time". I loved sipping a sugar-laden latte (before I knew better) and biting into a posh bakery cupcake. I enjoyed late night movies with friends eating local L.A. Chinese takeout & red wine. Rich cream sauces topped my salmon dinners. I had gotten it wrong. Decadence over dedication. To my body, and to God. 

I firmly believe that we can find purpose in our pain, and developing health ailments was a way to force me to change the way I ate and the way I look at food. I believe it all had a purpose. It wasn't easy, even a little scary, it takes dedication, it takes diligent planning every single day, but its not without purpose. 

It's what led me here. To this blog. To meeting you. It's what led me back to school. It's what led me to learning more than I ever thought I could about food, our food system, our bodies. It's what led me to helping me family eat better. It's what led me to be able to calmly answer those who are scared when they learn they can no longer drink milk or eat bread. I believe its what led me to conceive a child giving us hope for a family one day. 

That is all what one calls purpose.

And it's all from a wonderful and purposeful God.  

Through biblical principles we can deduce that it is beneficial and even morally right to emphasize a healthful diet.

Above & beyond the outward and earthly reasons that God places us on a path to research nutrition and gain a better understanding, is that it's His food that is made for us and we can bring Him glory through our choices. I wanted to look deeper into where it is sourced biblically and use it to keep myself committed to eating and cooking clean and taking care of my family for His glory. I knew, when I walked away from some of the western doctors who tried to write me prescription after unneeded  prescription*, that His food was going to be a path to healing. He put vitamin and nutrient rich foods here FOR us. Herbs FOR us. All made by our glorious God. 

We know God cares for our well-being and that our bodies need to remain in good health to carry out the work God has planned for us as seen in Exodus 2:10. 

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Having an unhealthy body makes our work harder to do and puts at risk for injuries and illness. Those with chronic illnesses know the wrong foods, unhealthy foods and sugar can also cause pain, lethargy, depression, anxiety and brain fog, among many, many other problems. All hurdles to motivation and movement. 

Psalms has so many beautiful verses on God's provision over us, and His animals, with the food He's blessed us with. I've learned through God's word and eating organic to respect the seasons. I no longer eat strawberries when there's a chill in the air because it was God's plan for them to be sweet treats of summer. Same with the cyclical life of grapes and squashes. As we cleanse our bodies of GMO and non-organically grown food we learn to plan our menus around the seasons.

And there is something so beautiful about that. 

Psalm 104:27 These all look  to you, to give them their food in due season.

I still mess up and as I pray on this, I can feel when God is telling me something isn't right for me or my body. That's its not serving its purpose as something that's healthful or helpful. As a human, I mess up and I make wrong decisions, but I believe as we ask God for strength and conviction on what He believes is best for us, we can give up what's bad and our relationship with Him and our health can grow. Growing in health, in joy and in fulfillment through the delicious, healthy bounty He has put here for us to enjoy.

We can still find joy in His gifts. We can still make beautiful dinners for friends at our table. We can still create beautiful dishes that inspire others to eat clean. We just need to remain mindful of the source of which our food comes, how it benefits our health and bodies so that we may remain steadfast in our works for His kingdom's Glory. 

*I do believe there is always a time and place for prescription medications and they can be a blessing in certain situations. Please always speak to you doctor and naturopath on healthy alternatives and know when your medications are needed. 
 

In what ways have you seeked God's guidance on your health journey?

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