How We Are Designed to Eat

We are designed not to overeat, but to be thirsty and hungry for God. When we have a desire to overeat, it is a cue that we need to seek God (Psalm 42:2).

There is an article from MD Anderson Cancer Prevention Center, “What happens when you overeat,” that explains what happens to our bodies when we overeat. Our stomach expands and pushes against our organs. Our organs work harder and excrete extra enzymes to break down food. Our stomach produces hydrochloric acid that could move up into the esophagus, causing heartburn (Proverbs 25:16). Our digestive system will take longer to digest, which increases the chance of the food we eat to turn into fat. Overeating impacts our sleep because our hormone and hunger levels are unstable.

The article, “What happens when you overeat,” recommends practical ways we can stop overeating, such as eating smaller portion sizes, eat more fruit and vegetables, chew food slowly, and eat in a good environment. However, I want to look deeper at the issue of why we desire to overeat. I believe it is to fill a physical, emotional or spiritual void. What if we responded to our desire to overeat with a desire to seek God. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” When we thirst for God, there will be no void, because we will be filled.

If we genuinely want to overcome the struggle with overeating, we should seek God by searching scriptures on the subject of overeating and prayer. Also, it would be a good idea to remove ourselves from the temptation immediately.J The blogger Brandice Lardner has some great resources available that can help us overcome overeating with the full armor of God at her website www.gracefilledplant.com.

God, You reign forever and ever in the heavens and on earth. We are so thankful for You. You deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. Let Your kingdom come and will be done in our lives. Help us seek You when we have an desire to overeat. We don’t want the awful side effects that come with overeating. We want our desire to be for righteousness. We want to be filled with righteousness. Give us knowledge, wisdom, and understanding as we need to follow Your eating plan. We ask You to forgive us for all our debts, trespasses, and sins as we forgive our debtors and those who have trespassed and sinned against us. Lead us not into temptation. Everyday helps us to be equipped with the full armor of God as You deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, Power and Glory. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.