Healthy Living
The Gospel of Thin
Certain books have been written in the past which insinuate, however subtly, that God’s daughters are more attractive to Jesus if they get skinny to please Him. Nothing is said about hefty Christian men needing to swear off the fried chicken to get closer to Jesus. Women of the world diet and exercise to get guys to notice their sleek new body. But the current dieting craze has been imported into the Church and legitimized by appealing to a longing for a deeper relationship with the King of Kings. I read of at least one cultic church whose central doctrine is this: All plump people will fry in hell, and so you’d better stay skinny for Jesus. A legitimate concern of Christians, healthy eating, has gotten so overblown that the “Christian” dieting movement is now baring its hungry teeth at those calling for common sense.
It seemed innocent enough in the beginning. On the cover of one book written in the 70’s, a slender young sweetie in a long frilly dress strolls gracefully through the fields to search for Jesus. Her girlish beauty is supposedly what draws Christ to her, making Him whisper romantic endearments to her soul. Christ is her Prince, and she is His well-beloved soul mate.
The darker side of this idyllic scene is this clear implication: Only young, skinny beauties have any right to take joy in their relationship with Jesus. If you’re an old gray mare with varicose veins and thunder thighs, stay in your stall till you undergo a major rehaul so everybody will think you’re still under thirty. Even if you’re sixty and have had a houseful of kids, failure to stay fashionably thin and glamorous is a turn-off to the Lord. If everything on your body is going south, you’d better zap that problem with a diet or you won’t “go north” in the Rapture! But I see a double standard here. If you’re a guy, those “Christian” diet books aren’t particularly aimed at you. Eat up, fellows! After all, Jesus was accused of being a winebibber and a glutton (Matt.11:19; Luke 7:34). This Scripture records Jesus saying that He came eating and drinking (normally, unlike frequent faster John the Baptist). It is clear that Christ did not subsist on a weird diet of water cress, barley bran and beet sprouts. Christ did not lead anybody to believe He was an austere ascetic Who punished His body with self-imposed hunger.
The only time Scripture mentions Jesus as going a long time without food is His forty-day abstinence in the Wilderness, where He was sustained by the Word of God (see Matt.4:4). Only AFTERWARD was Christ hungry (Matt.4:2).
Actually, Christ DID often do without essentials in His life, but it was not deliberately done as a religious exercise. Christ lived on the edge, having nowhere to lay His head (Matt.8:20). And that was because He became poor for our sakes (2 Cor.8:9). But Christ didn’t fast to practice religious self-humiliation, to merit God’s favor thereby. This lack of religious show in Christ’s character often irked the self-righteous Pharisees who did fast in this way (and bragged about it).
The Gospel of Slim insists that since Jesus was perfectly holy, it follows that He must have eaten a skimpy, tasteless diet, and we must follow His example in this. But what does the prophet Isaiah predict about the diet of Jesus Christ? If you want to follow a real Jesus Diet, read this:
Isaiah 7:15: Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.* * *What’s going on here? Real butter has long been reviled as an unhealthy, fattening junk food which is almost a sin to touch. Honey is a (gasp) carbohydrate which provides quick-release energy. Honey actually tastes good, so it MUST be bad for you! But in this verse God labels butter and honey as being good and not to be refused (in moderation, of course).
Proverbs 24:13: My son, eat thou honey, because it is GOOD; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to the taste.* * *Food faddists do their worst to persuade you that a taste for sweet foods is bad for you, and you ought instead to crave bitter things like plain yogurt, dandelion greens, vinegar tonics, etc.
Nehemiah 8:10: Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat (rich foods), and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.* * *The Gospel of Thin teaches Christians to be sorry and ashamed when they eat something rich or sweet. Christian food Pharisees teach Christians that fasting and suffering in self-denial impart spiritual strength, rather than the joy of the Lord.
Verse 22: And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.* * * EVERY one, eh? Wouldn’t that include the ladies as well as the men? Where’s the LOLO Spread and little pink packets for the ladies’ luncheon?
What did righteous Abraham feed three heavenly visitors who dropped by to announce the coming birth of Isaac?
Gen.18:6: And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes upon the hearth.* * *It was FINE meal, not the kibbled, gritty grain health nuts swear by! What on earth was Abram trying to do, drive up the angels’ glycemic index with those nasty carbs?
Verse 7: And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.* * *Naughty, naughty! Abraham should have prepared skinless grilled chicken for the heavenly visitors instead of tender, juicy veal!
Verse 8: And he (Abraham) took butter (gasp), and milk (was it skim, or even 2%?) and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.* * *Did those angels really eat the WHOLE calf in one sitting? The angels’ arteries must have been crammed with cholesterol after that meal!
Christian Diet Police would have run Abraham out of town for forgetting to fill up the angels on low-cal lotus salad before the main course. Why didn’t Abraham at least serve steamed spinach with that meal? Abraham had probably seen the Great Pyramid on his travels to Egypt. But hadn’t he ever heard of the Food Pyramid which highlights the importance of low-cal fruits and veggies? Didn’t this wise man even know how to grow green beans or Brussels sprouts on his patch of land?
Imagine how much full-fat milk it must have taken for the angels to wash down that big fat calf and that mountain of tortillas Sarah made. Abraham could at least have offset the massive calorie count of the the angels’ meal by eliminating beverage calories! He could have served them Perrier water with a lemon twist instead of rich, buttery milk from contented cows! Where was Abraham’s local Diet Coke Man? Out chasing shepherd girls?
Only one thing saved Abraham’s meal from being a total dietary disaster. Abraham forgot the dessert, and it’s a good thing he did! Those angels didn’t even have room left for Jello. One bite of devil’s food cake and those angels would have popped!
The Old Testament does contain dietary restrictions (no pork, shrimp or ham) But does the New Testament authorize ANY teacher of the Gospel, man or woman, to threaten people with eternal hellfire for eating a Mars Bar or other fattening treat?
I Tim.4:1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Verse 2: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Verse 3: Forbidding to marry, and COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS (foods), which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Verse 4: For EVERY creature of God is GOOD, and NOTHING to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
Verse 5: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.
Suppose you’re a missionary in a foreign land, stranded somewhere and hungry, and all God provides for the time being is a chocolate bar. You can pray over that candy and sanctify it with the Word of God and prayer. So long as there’s no medical reason you can’t eat this emergency energy supply, go ahead and enjoy the candy without guilt. No scripture condemns chocolate (or even white sugar) as being sinful. That is a prohibition of food Pharisees who hope you save money on your grocery bill and contribute the savings to their religious organization!
The particular dieting cult I’m thinking of has gone off the rails. Weight loss dieting wasn’t even a minor doctrine taught by Paul, yet it is the all-important issue of that particular “Christian” church. Paul didn’t even promote religious fasting in his epistles! Issues revolving around SELF (weight loss, beauty, success, wealth, etc.) have crept into the church and gotten Christians so excited that the Religion of Self-Improvement has supplanted Christ and the true business of the King. Paul prophesied of the Last Days: Men (and women) shall be lovers of their own selves (2 Tim.3:2). Ours is truly a self-obsessed generation. Instead of feeding the poor widow like they did in Acts, modern churches wonder if that woman ought to stay on her diet to stay skinnier for Jesus.
The only time Paul forbids anyone to eat is in the case of lazy believers who refuse to work and instead want to live off church charity. Paul says if they don’t want to work, neither should they eat (2 Thes.3:10). Paul did not say if they don’t weigh what they should they shouldn’t be allowed to eat.
Satan knows you can’t focus on two things at once. He often appears as an angel of light (2 Cor.11:14). The devil made the forbidden tree in Eden appear as a beautiful, desirable thing. Flower-garlanded, narcissistic nymphs in Lala Land invite you to experience “deeper” Christian revelations which emphasize harsh treatment of the body as being a meritorious way to become more like Christ. Paul was a self-disciplined individual, but he still seems to discourage bodily asceticism as a valid route to deeper spirituality.
Col.2:20: Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Verse 21: (Touch not, taste not, handle not:
Verse 22: Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Verse 23: Which things have indeed a SHEW OF WISDOM in will worship, and humility, AND NEGLECTING OF THE BODY; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.* * *Paul states here that outward acts of “humility” are only a show of wisdom, not that they ARE wisdom! It was the self-righteous Pharisees who put on a show so others would admire them for their self-denying habits. Pharisees come in many flavors. Diet preachers who threaten plump people with hell are sour lemon Pharisees who run away from the sugar of human kindness and mercy. Their righteousness is not Christ, but a skinny body. But God will send ALL liars, murderers, swindlers and self-righteous bigots to hell, whether they’re a size 2 or 20!
Proper nutrition and self-control (not eating all you can at all-you-can-eat restaurants) are two sides of the same coin. Self-control in ALL areas of life is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:23). That applies to chugging down too many beers, TV viewing habits, dealing with others, etc., not just food intake. Important as self-control is, dieting is NOWHERE mentioned in any epistle as being a prerequisite for discipleship, male or female! Christian diet gurus who put worldly hang-ups on wounded women who come to Christ are doing the devil’s work. Turning discipleship into a beauty pageant instills further feelings of worthlessness and insecurity in women. They are taught that their faithfulness to Christ hangs on looking like a coat hanger.
Interestingly enough, male disciples are also members of the Bride of Christ. New Testament Scripture says nothing about women relating differently to Christ than men. It is a great mystery to me, how Christian men could be included in the Bride and experience feelings of spiritual romance with the King of Kings as women do. In Christ, there is neither male nor female insofar as our relationship with Jesus is concerned (Gal.3:28). If a skinny young girl in a pretty dress strolls through the fields to encounter Christ, it is just as okay for a 250-pound truck driver to stomp through flower fields to seek God’s face.
Women (and men) in the Old Testament were often favored on the basis of having good looks. But not ONCE is any individual praised in the New Testament for being beautiful. The only exception I could find is that God’s desire for the Church is that she should reach a point of perfection where she appears without (spiritual) spot or wrinkle (Eph.5:27).
Care needs to be taken to distinguish between our relationship with Christ as individuals and our collective relationship with Him as the Church. One grave error in Roman Catholicism is the way nuns are taught to view themselves as being individual bride(s) of Christ. To achieve this purpose, nuns forego marriage with mortal men and live separately from the world in convents. Some adopt practices of severity toward their own bodies to commend themselves to God, to prove their worthiness to be brides of Christ. This is akin to the Gospel of Thin which is being promoted to “deepen a woman’s relationship” with Christ. Oddly enough, this particular gospel is preached mainly to female converts to Christ! How do the men get off so easy?
Scripture does not teach that we are MANY brides of Christ, though we are many members of the same Body (I Cor.12:14). Jesus has only ONE Bride. Christ does not keep a harem like the ancient patriarchs did. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Scripture records that Rachel was more beautiful (Gen. Gen.29:17;30). But when Jesus surveys the folks out in the pews, He loves that white-haired old grandma just as much as that spring chicken with the long blond hair. For that matter, Jesus loves big, brawny, Brother Bubba with the same love of the Spirit. Jesus’ love is not the same kind experienced by construction workers who whistle at cuties strutting their stuff in hot pants. “Christian” diet books must never cheapen the love of the Spirit which recognizes only the beauty of Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.
I don’t take issue with books or programs which teach a balanced approach toward improving diet for personal health. But I DO object to spiritual quacks who make big money off other people’s inner insecurities about their looks, and society’s negative perception of them. There’s much to gain by hopping on the weight loss bandwagon and making ordinary folks even more ashamed of the way God created them. God did not design all women to look like skinny boys! But the devil wants women to kill themselves trying.
If some money-hungry individual comes up with a “revolutionary” new “self-improvement” program which integrates body image issues with spiritual life issues, then PRESTO! The devious spiritual quack manages to press the right buttons in people’s hearts. Desperate people will fatten their new guru’s bank account while their wallets lose weight. But in the ensuing spiritual confusion the REAL Gospel message is starved of attention and the REAL Jesus shrinks from view.
* * * * *
http://kingdomage.tripod.com
http://banpreachergreed.tripod.com
http://boogerbucks.tripod.com
http://toughlovebook.tripod.com
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 979 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Patricia Backora or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 979 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.
Laury
beauty, or the lack or it,
was often part of the Story.
But, it wasn't that God
made one person ugly (Leah)
and one person fair (Rachel)
because He loved one over the
other. No, He endowed these
qualities for the purpose
of His Own Glory! Just look
at the Story of Esther; yes, the Lord did make her beautiful, but it was for
a much higher Purpose - and
not her own. Just as He
made ME a schlemagel - maybe,
if I had been real gorgeous,
I wouldn't need Him, so much!
God Bless!