R-E-S-P-E-C-T [rəˈspekt]
Yes, that is the word I was looking for. I have come to the inescapable conclusion that people in the United States have lost their respect for food. Not so for the unfortunate millions who live in countries where food is scarce and unaffordable. Where every day is a struggle for survival. Here every Sunday, millions in the U.S. struggle with the decision about where and what to eat for lunch after church, while many people in other lands wonder if they will eat at all. And if that does not concern you, than all I can say is, "You are a goat." What? Yes that's right. Actually Jesus said it.
(Matthew 25:31-46) ESV “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right [the sheep], ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, [the goats] ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
It does not bode well for the goats does it? What a contrast ... and what a condemnation levied against the most prosperous nation in the world, in the history of mankind. And what do we do with our abundance? We squander it on ourselves. We no longer respect the value of food for nutrition, but value it as a source of our hedonistic satisfaction and lust for personal pleasure.
Sound harsh? Perhaps. There is nothing worse than meeting someone who has been reformed from something. And I have been that. I no longer am captivated by the thought of a full stomach or the taste of some favorite dish. Instead I see food as a means of sustaining my health. We are a people of excess. We revel in eating more than we should. Of eating what we shouldn't. Everything is quick and supersized. We are impatient if the microwave takes too long or and frustrated if the drive through is not fast enough. Even when we are gorging ourselves, our conversation hovers around the topic of food. Not the food we are eating, but food we want to eat or have eaten at another time in another place.
Did you know that obesity is one of the biggest drivers of preventable chronic diseases and healthcare costs in the United States. Currently, estimates for these costs range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. That much money is spent because we eat too much. Can you imagine if we sent $210 billion dollars worth of food and aide to countries that can't produce enough food for themselves? What about the money we would save if we didn't eat more than we needed to eat to live? It boggles the mind.
We don't respect food. Respect in the same sense of our showing respect for a firearm. If you don't respect a firearm, it can kill you. Well, in the same way, if you don't respect food, it can also kill you, just not as quickly. And it costs a lot more. A bullet costs a few cents ... dying by food "poisoning" costs thousands of dollars more, and you suffer a lot longer.
So what to do? It all starts with deciding that you are going to stop the insanity. You are going to abandon your addiction to the pleasure derived from food and treat it as the nutritional source that God intended. That is not to say that the food you eat should not taste good. But how it makes your taste buds feel should be of more importance than the fact that the food is good for you and promotes your health.
So I am in the process of reclaiming my health and restoring my respect for food as my primary source of nutrition and health. What about you? We are not all goats ... but there are many .. too many. Did I say you are going to hell if you are overweight? NO-NO-NO. But you are irresponsible and living in a way that is contrary to your faith and well being. Think about it .. and then do something about it. Maybe my solution is not for you. I don't really care what "plan" or program you choose to follow, but your journey must start with a clear understanding of why you have the problem you have and a desire to do something about it.
Let me know if I can help.
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