The Gospel According to Counting Calories?

A marker of disordered eating issues is our compulsion toward the counting of calories, carbohydrates, fat grams- anything we deem “evil.” We spend a lot of time looking at the nutritional information of food; but it really has little to do with nutrition. Right? We often look at this nutritional food content to count our varied, unique ways of controlling and “okaying” what is a “safe” food.

But there really is no such thing, is there?

“I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.”

Job 3:26

There are healthier choices, but junk food- or any other food- is not inherently “evil.” It’s food. It won’t give us control from our lives, provide safety from inevitable change or supply unconditional love to our every hole and unmet need. There’s no real “good news” or “gospel” by counting whatever it is we’re counting regarding food. It’s just counting.

How about, then, the Gospel, according to God?

“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”

Proverbs 21:31

What are we counting? What are we counting on? Is God in the mix, at all? That’s the challenge, isn’t it? Do we turn to God as Comforter- or food and food rituals, counting included, instead?

Wherever we find ourselves, whatever we may be counting- or counting on- let’s stop for just a second and turn to God. We can be in an ugly, out of control state; it’s doesn’t matter to Him. He tells us to come to Him anyway.

“Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Wherever we are, God is there and He IS rooting for us!

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

Can we believe it? Can we count on that and therefore, look at a new way of counting?

God’s thoughts concerning us are too many to count!

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

Psalm 139:17-18

So, the next time we’re counting anything, let’s remember that God is, indeed, constantly thinking of us! Let’s count on that!