Our time is unique in that city dwellers are tied to grocery stores and depend on the goods offered there. If these stores were suddenly to close, everyone would face an unpleasant trial called, ‘What shall we eat?’
Food is an inseparable part of our existence. Without it, human life loses its vitality, and death from starvation follows.
Yet many of us have never experienced hunger and have never even wondered why there is so much food around us. In essence, however, we all live from harvest to harvest and depend in this matter on God’s care and mercy.
Food has become part of the cultural heritage of every country and people, and each region has its own dietary traditions and cuisine.
Modern logistics makes it possible to have foods from all over the world on our tables, and stores amaze us with their selection.
I remember when my mother used to send me to the store to buy milk, bread, sausage, and sour cream, and this was our usual diet and a normal part of life. I stood in long lines to buy these products. Today, when we enter a supermarket, our eyes are overwhelmed by the abundance and variety of everything. But whether there is much or little does not yet mean that it is healthful.
The fourth law of health: Proper nutrition.
Every person has his own understanding of proper nutrition, and everyone has the right to decide for himself what to eat and what and how to feed his family. Our bodies are able to adapt to any way of life and extract the greatest possible benefit from whatever enters the stomach.
Although air and water are essential nourishment for my body and blood, the most important source of energy and vitality is still the proper choice of food.
Proper means conforming to certain rules and laws of health. We are made up of what we drink and eat. We have been given taste and smell so that eating may bring pleasure, while our eyes tell us how a dish looks and send a signal to the stomach so that it may prepare for the next portion of food that will delight the body. When we have a choice, we do not eat just anything; we buy and prepare what we want and what gives us pleasure.
If I build my happiness upon what I eat, I am doomed to inevitable disaster, because my appetite may change or begin dictating its demands to my mind. I may find myself in circumstances where I am forced to eat what I do not want, or I may simply have no money to buy food. Then my happiness will quickly fly away as I long for former times.
Healthful nutrition is food that benefits me and does not destroy my body. As a rule, its value is determined not by taste or appearance but by its composition, method of preparation, and compatibility with the other foods I eat at the same meal.
When God created our world, He gave humanity plant food, which grew abundantly upon the earth. People did not need to labor hard in order to buy it. They could simply pick it and eat it, without any worries. Such food still grows today, but in other people’s gardens and fields. To eat something now, it must first be grown or purchased.
My body knows what I need and what is beneficial for me, but it cannot tell me about it. Therefore, it longs for me to show wisdom and study the laws of health and proper nutrition, so that I may begin caring for my body and feeding it what will not destroy or kill me.
Improper nutrition causes my body to lose its protective properties and brings about all kinds of diseases, which begin appearing in my life as a consequence of my ignorance concerning health.
Proper nutrition includes:
- the particular ability of my body to digest and accept one food or another;
- a regular meal schedule—two or three meals at set times;
- the amount of food consumed;
- the quality and freshness of the ingredients and the prepared dish;
- the compatibility of foods with one another;
- the time of meals and the intervals between them;
- my emotional state;
- attention focused on the food;
- the taste of the food;
- the regularity of meals;
- a grateful spirit;
- the method of preparation;
- the body’s needs;
- the food’s conformity to biblical standards, so that it is not something God has forbidden us to eat—for example, the flesh of unclean animals or a product containing animal blood;
- genetic safety;
- nutritional value;
- an abundance of vitamins and minerals;
- the absence of disease-causing organisms;
- conformity to common sense and ethical standards;
- the presence of love.
These rules are universal, but every person needs an individual approach.
The laws of health also give preference to plant foods grown without special chemical treatment.
Meat is not the best food at the present time, because nearly all animals are diseased, and they may be injected with various medications so that they will survive until slaughter and grow quickly. When they are killed, the animals experience stress, and their blood is not drained but remains within the body, contaminating the meat. The stores sell us the flesh of strangled animals with the blood still in it. All of this contradicts the teaching of the Bible. If it is the flesh of an unclean animal, God forbids even touching it, much less preparing it. If I do not eat such food myself but feed it to members of my household, knowing that it is forbidden, my conscience is defiled, and I become unclean and accountable before God, even if others demand this of me.
I cannot impose my tastes and principles on other people. But I can clearly state my firm position and say what I want and what I will not eat or do.
In preparing and eating food, the spirit in which it is prepared and served is very important. If the food is tasty and healthful, but stress and curses are present, such dishes will bring little benefit.
If you think that God does not care what is on your plate or what your state of mind is, you are mistaken.
There is more religion in every meal than you may realize. The abundance we possess is available to us because one day the Son of God left Heaven and died for our sins to give us hope of a better life.
Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life and true Drink. He compares Himself to the Heavenly manna, and He desires us to feed upon Him daily. All of this is symbolic, but we should understand it and do as He commanded.
His teaching will nourish every thirsty and seeking soul and will give a long and meaningful life that will continue forever.
Proper and healthful nutrition is a harmonious combination of spiritual and physical food that does not defile the conscience or the body but gives life and strength to my spirit, soul, and body.
And God cares for those who think, seek, study, believe, and trust Him.
We were not born merely to eat. Yet food is necessary to sustain our lives, and eating is a pleasant process that requires time, talent, wisdom, and skill. We will eat throughout Eternity. We will forever breathe pure air, forever enjoy the Water of Life and brilliant light. Our love will be with us, and everything between us will be done with love and thanksgiving.
Bible verses for this chapter:
John 6:48–58; Romans 14:17; Matthew 6:31–33; Genesis 1:29; Leviticus 11:1–47; 17:14; 22:7; Ezekiel 4:14; 44:31; Acts 15:19–20; Proverbs 23:1–3; 1 Corinthians 8:8, 13; John 4:31–34; Hebrews 5:14; Luke 24:41–43; John 21:12–13; Proverbs 3:7–8; 1 Timothy 6:6–8