The Way of Walking with Christ - based on a work of Miyamoto Musashi

13) Do not have a liking for delicious food for yourself.

The book of Daniel has an excellent example of this.

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.  And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.”  Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”  So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.  At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.  So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.(Daniel 1:8-16, ESV)

I am sure many people are familiar with the adage, "why does bad food always taste so good".  Athletes know that when they go out to eat at fast food restaurants their performance suffers.  God's word outlines many dietary recommendations. When the Holy Spirit comes to live within us our bodies, for however long God sees fit for us to inhabit them, become a temple unto the Lord.  We should take every measure to provide good nutrition to our bodies, and not become gluttons.

It is a slippery slope when one gets a taste (if you will) of something "delicious".  Humans have an incredible ability to become addicted to things.  Thomas Jonathon Jackson (aka "Stonewall" Jackson) knew this well.  Most of his adult life he struggled with "dyspepsia", today it might be known as acid reflux disease, but he followed a strict diet so as to avoid, if at all possible, his stomach issues.  Once he got a taste of Whiskey and from that point on made a point to never drink it again.  His reasoning?  That he liked it too much and he knew that he would then consume it to excess if he allowed himself.  The same is true with food as well.

You need to eat to live, but you should not live to eat.  It is important to eat a balanced and healthy diet.

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