Dieting vs. Healthy Eating
In her book Eating for Excellence, Sheri Rose Shepherd examines the biblical guidelines for healthy eating. Shepherd, a former Mrs. United States, says there are many examples throughout the Bible of people who put God's will first when it came to diet and nutrition.
“If you think about Daniel [in the first chapter of Daniel] in the Bible, when he said [he was going] to deny the delicacies of the day, God gave him extra wisdom, strength, and favor,” Shepherd says. “He didn't say 'I'm going to go on a great diet of low carbohydrates, take this diet pill so I can have the best body in the kingdom'.”
Too Tired to Answer the Call
She says that while resolutions to eat better and exercise regularly are common with a new year, many believers set themselves up for failure because they focus on “dieting” as opposed to “eating healthier.”
“3 John 2 says: 'Beloved, I hope that you are in good health — may you thrive in all other ways as you do in the spirit.' God's Word also tells us to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord [Romans 12:1] — and it's a sacrifice to give up food that we crave,” she says. “God's Word [also] tells us that our body is the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells.” [I Corinthians 6:19]
From Suffering to Strength
“All of us are called to greatness at some level in our lives,” Shepherd says. “So many times, we are too tired to ever answer that incredible call that God has on our lives.”
Shepherd is president of Foundation for Excellence ministries. She suffered from eating disorders as a teenager until she converted to Christianity as a young adult. Among other books she has written are Fit for Excellence, 7 Ways to Build a Better You, and her newest — Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal.
(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
