I started reading Made to Crave at the same time as my Whole 30. I can’t even tell you how helpful this book has been to me while undergoing this Whole 30. Made to Crave “Satisfying your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food.” Let that sink it. The title says it all. How often do we use food to fulfill more than just a food craving? We use food for everything.
I am bored. Let’s eat.
I am happy. Let’s eat.
I am sad. Let’s eat.
I want to celebrate. Let’s eat.
I ate so well all week. Let’s binge eat.
You get my point, and Lysa’s. We were made to crave God. God created us to crave Him so much that our sole purpose becomes loving Him, and bringing others to Him.
Satan is sneaky though. He makes us think that food isn’t an issue. That God doesn’t care what I eat. Isn’t it silly to pray for God to help me not eat that doughnut? God has bigger things to do.
So what happens is we keep God out of our struggles with food and Satan sneaks in. Food becomes something we keep from God. We don’t let Him into our struggles. Food becomes bigger than God to us. Food becomes our go to.
Then here is what happens. Lysa just nails it with this. We become overweight physically, and underweight spiritually.
Let that sink in.
Is this the case for everyone? No, but we all have that one thing we crave more than God. Money, success, sex, drugs, alcohol. Whatever it is. God wants you to give up the things you crave more than Him. Is food a sin? No, it isn’t. It becomes sin when you crave it more than Christ. When you go to food more often than you go to Christ.
The other thing she touches on in the first few chapters is that we can’t ignore the fact that the fall of man was when Eve was tempted to eat the apple. She ate something she shouldn’t have. Satan replaced her cravings for Christ. God cares about your struggles with food. It is His temple. He created it in His image. Of course he cares what you put in it. He cares if you train it and if you love it. He cares because it is His.
God gave us food to satisfy our hunger. To keep us fueled and healthy. What did Satan do? He took something we need, and turned it into an obsession. Something we think about constantly. Something we want more than Christ.