Eat and Drink to Glorify God: Why Your Health Matters to Him

Discover how your health and faith are intertwined and how making healthy choices can bring glory to God. Learn how to nourish your body and soul.

It is my divine assignment to encourage you to honor God with your body by eating and drinking for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 6:19, 10:31), but have you ever wondered why God gave us this command and many others regarding our health and fitness? There are actually several reasons.  

First and foremost, we are supposed to eat and drink for His glory to reflect His holiness. In Leviticus 11, God imposed very stringent food restrictions on the Israelites after freeing them from the Egyptians and establishing them as conquerors of the promised land. However, they were not put on a diet plan to lose weight or be set free from eating disorders. On the contrary, God explained the food restrictions were given because Israel was to “consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).

In other words, Israel was meant to stand apart, be separated, and sanctified from the pagans who offered their food to dead idols before eating it. Their obedience was meant to glorify the One True Living God before the heathens, and so does yours. Although we are not required to adhere to the food restrictions outlined in the Book of Leviticus, I Corinthians 10:31 reaffirms the command to eat and drink in a way that reflects His holiness to the world and glorifies Him as Lord of every aspect of our lives.

Second, your body is the temple or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He has provided you with a beautiful world to live in. How dare you treat Him like an unwelcomed guest confined to a rundown, neglected tenement? After pointing out that the Israelites lived in fine, paneled houses, the prophet in Haggai warned the nation to, “‘Give careful thought to your ways! Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build My house, so that I might take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the Lord” (Haggai 1:7-8). Since the physical temple in which the Israelites worshipped symbolizes or points to the modern day spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, meaning your body, that mandate still applies to us today. While that does not mean God expects you to be a size zero (0) or to never eat a slice of cake again, it does mean He expects you to take care of your body in order to please, honor, and glorify Him.

Lastly, He gave the command for your sake. God promises that He has no intention to harm you. On the contrary, His plans are to prosper you, to give you a future, and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Those who are diagnosed with obesity related diseases and eating disorders are not prosperous in terms of their health, which is true wealth. Moreover, their futures are uncertain, and their lives are often cut short. In some cases, the damage to their bodies is permanent, leaving them without hope of making a full recovery even if they change their poor dietary habits. However, Jesus said that He came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Sickness and disease are not a part of abundant living. Consequently, God gave us the health and fitness commandments to protect us from our own self-destructive behavior.

When you obey Him, you are automatically expressing your gratitude to the Lord, and He loves a grateful heart as evidenced by Jesus’ expectation that all ten (10) lepers would return to give Him thanks for their healing (Luke 17:11-19). Even more importantly, your act of obedience proves that you love the Lord! Jesus said those who love Him obey His commands (John 14:21).  Love means adoration, devotion, and worship! Consequently, when you eat and drink for the glory of God, you are actually worshipping Him!

If you are ready obey God’s health and fitness commandments,, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God. Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ. Follow us daily on Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on iTunes, Spotify, The Narrative Matters, StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends. Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!