Grace and Diet Culture | Devotional Bible Study for Women

Grace and Diet Culture 

As believers in the dispensation of Grace, all food has been declared by God as good and acceptable for us to eat (1 Tim 4:4).

1 Tim 4:4

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:”

In legalistic religious teachings they often try to put people under specific dietary laws or rules such as fasting or restricting certain foods at certain times of the week or year in order to try and please God. When they do this it is a "fair shew in the flesh". They do not understand that we are not under law, but grace, so they believe it is "more spiritual" to eat certain types of foods or to not eat certain types of foods, or to go on fasts. 

In more extreme cases, they might do this to have more control over people (cults will often tell you what to eat, when to eat and even how to eat or restrict eating entirely as a form of punishment!).

As grace believers we tend to steer away from that because we understand grace living. However, we can sometimes get caught up in putting ourselves under strict dietary rules that we learn from the secular world even if they are not needed for health reasons. Or we might be well-intentioned and begin a special diet because of health reasons and then start to become far too strict and obsessive about it. We can be tricked by diet culture into following "legalistic rules" that the world sets regarding food. They do this over an obsession with the body (and fat-phobia; unrealistic weight, health and beauty standards) and not always just for health reasons. It can then lead into self-condemnation when you don't strictly follow the diet rules and almost all diets fail! Self-condemnation is inevitable with diets!

It's important for us to remember who we are in Christ and that all food is good. Terms like "junk food", "clean eating", etc these are all words that the secular world often uses to put people under a legalistic approach to food. The more that they can get you to follow their food rules the more money you will spend. There is big money in the diet industry. Not being able to eat the foods that you want to eat (that is if you don't have a medical reason not to eat them) is a form of bondage. 

Some people have no choice but to restrict certain foods due to health issues such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies etc. But as believers we should not do this to ourselves for no other reason than for vanity or to feel morally superior to others.

People today will also equate themselves with their specific diet and try to find their worth and value in the types of foods that they eat. How often in the last 10 years have you heard people refer to themselves by their diet? "I'm a vegan", or "I'm a vegetarian". Or maybe their diet is so drastic that they have to change their whole lifestyle around it and it puts stress and pressure too on their loved ones. Sometimes this is more of an attempt to try and find identity in something that they do instead of in who they are in Christ (if they are saved; if they are not saved then they need to realize their need for a savior and hopefully believe the gospel!). Oftentimes they will even feel superior to others because of the diet that they have chosen. And in many cases its based upon false promises of reaching some unrealistic weight, beauty, fitness or health standard (not all diseases can just be cured by diets, fitness and supplements!).

Rather than seeing their need for a savior, believing the gospel of their salvation (1 Cor 15:1-4 KJB) and finding their worth in Christ once they are saved, many people, especially women,

might turn to their own behavior in the form of special diets, strict fitness regimens, beauty treatments, designer clothing and other things to find their worth. What they need, and what we all need, is not mans attempt to be righteous by his own works, but Christ Jesus Himself. When we believe the gospel of our Salvation then Christ comes to live in us and we are in Christ. Believers are the righteousness of God in Christ!

Diet, fitness, beauty and wellness culture just wants us focused primarily on our flesh. This makes them a lot of money! This has also led to an explosion of eating disorders in recent years.

God does not want us to hate or abuse our bodies nor to obsess over them, but to take care of ourselves to the best of our ability without being overly focused or obsessed with it. This is having a modest approach to our health. Our worth and value is not in our diet but in who we are IN CHRIST. 

Journaling: Have you ever been  legalistic in your approach to food and exercise? Have you ever demonized food just because diet culture told you it was bad? What would be a healthy, grace approach to food and exercise?

Here also are some verses to think about and meditate upon:

1 Tim 4: 3-5 KJB "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31 KJB 

"Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him." Ro 14:3 KJB

"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Tim 6:7-8 KJB

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Matt 6:25 KJB

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Col 2:16-17 KJB

"And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Ecclesiasties 3:13 KJB

"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible " 1 Cor 9:25 KJB

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Gal 5:13 KJB

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Eph 5:18 KJB

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Ro 6:14 KJB 

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