“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.” (James 3:7-8, ESV)
I bet you can relate to this passage. I sure can. You know that moment when an outburst just shot out from between your lips, and you instantly regret it? Instantly you wish you could put the proverbial toothpaste back into the tube, but you can’t. It’s out there. You said it. So you cringe and wait to eat the fruit of your words.
Our words seed the atmosphere. Understanding this, we want to grow daily in the discipline of what we allow our tongues to utter.
However, have you ever considered one other aspect of the tongue that is extremely hard to tame? When I was meditating on this passage from James recently, the topic of eating came to mind. Goodness is it hard to completely subjugate our tongue when it comes to consuming the right foods!
It matters to God what we eat. This is one of the key reasons for the Bible giving a detailed account of how He fed the Israelites in the desert. It’s why, when the disciples asked Jesus for training in prayer, the Prayer 101 class He gave them included the line, “Give us today our daily bread.” If you look for it, food actually gets a pretty good amount of attention throughout the Word. The Holy Spirit even made sure we knew about John the Baptist’s eccentric alimentary patterns.
Yes, God cares about what we choose as fuel for our bodies. This is not because He’s a legalist or looking for something to be critical about. It’s not because our eating choices make us more or less holy. Jesus actually specified to the contrary, “It is not what people put into their mouths that makes them unclean. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes them unclean” (Matt. 15:11, NCV).
Rather, He cares about our nutritional intake because He loves us. He knows that what we eat is a key factor in determining our health, our strength, and even our emotional wellbeing.
He also knows that sometimes when we are hurting, we look to food to comfort us. He understands that sometimes when our spirit is needing nourishment, but our stomachs are full, we turn to food anyway trying to satiate our inner discontent. Food is actually a pretty huge deal to us humans, and He knows it. Whatever is a big deal to us, He wants to be in the middle of it. He wants to be intimately involved.
Have you made Him the Lord of what goes into your mouth? You’ll never be able to make all the right dietary choices on sheer will power. The good news is, Holy Spirit is standing by, eager to empower you in your steps towards healthy eating. Ask for His help, and you shall receive!
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, NET).
**********************************
Do you have any insights pertaining to the topic of eating for the glory of God? I’d love to hear from you about them below in the comments!
Feeding On Jesus 
OMGoodness, I have a prayer that goes like this, “Lord, please bite my tongue for me because I am not very good at it and I don’t want to say something bad. Thank you Lord.” AMEN! I really know how to put my foot in my mouth, but not how to tame my tongue. I am still a work in progress 😀 Blessings and honor, Christine
LikeLiked by 3 people
You are in good company my dear sister! A work in progress — aren’t we all, aren’t we all! I know the Lord loves that prayer of yours 🙂 🌹
LikeLiked by 1 person
He does have a good sense of humor 😀 Blessings, Christine
LikeLiked by 1 person
Doesn’t He though? 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a good word!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Jon!
LikeLike
God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for this food. Amen.
My grandmother taught me to always say that before eating anything as soon as I started to talk. And I still do, at least silently.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like that! What a wonderful practice she instilled in you. I ask the Father to help me continually grow in gratitude 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My sis has diabetes and was still eating tons of sugar donuts and cookies. Her legs were in danger of amputation and her eyesight is all but gone. But my brother pointed out to her very firmly that her body IS the Temple of the Holy Spirit and she finally agreed to go on insulin and take better care of her Temple. Thanx to God for His grace. ❤️&🙏, c.a.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh good, I am so glad she decided to listen to his wise counsel. I am so sorry though for her suffering.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes food can totally work to our benefit or against us. I agree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Zina, for your visit and comment in agreement! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Being aware our bodies are Temples of the HOLY SPIRIT reminds us all of our responsibilities for care in EVERY aspect,,,,,including eyes, mind, heart, lungs. ears and of course tongue. Thank you for reminder.
LikeLiked by 2 people
As always, thank you too, Faye. Your constancy in commenting and encouragement means so much to me!
LikeLike
Eating can be a great time of fellowship if we let open our tables and hearts. It requires effort to create and share that food. I’m not a very capable cook, but I enjoy having people around, so I have started to ask God for help. Both in what food to choose, and how to become more confident in my hosting.
I wrote a song in the past year which has the chorus:
“When we feel we can’t last the day
Falling faster than we can control
False tongues fly free
RESIST!
Seek proof, bleed truth, find your way”
The owners of those false tongues are sometimes others, and sometimes our own self. God is there to help us discern when we need to hold our own tongue, and when we need to speak up against injustice.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I really like all three of those paragraphs/thoughts. Thank you, Hamish, for sharing the wisdom God has given you. Do you have a recording available of that song online? The lyrics are striking!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Not yet! I’m still in the fledgling stage of recording music (and can’t quite play the guitar solo as well as I would like to record it – maybe I need to request assistance from my accomplished guitar playing friends). It is the next song I plan to record and get out into the ether. When I do, I will send a link, and share it on my own blog. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes please! I will truly look forward to that, and to celebrating it with you!
LikeLiked by 1 person