BY DR. STEVE FRIEND

Read Genesis 1:29. No matter which translation you choose, God didn’t tell Adam and Eve, “I have given you every kind of potato chip, French fry, BBQ ribs, cheese cake, See’s Candy, ice cream, deep fried twinkies, tiramisu or strawberries dipped in chocolate, it shall be for food.”

Luckily it took nearly 6000 years before chemists invented Oreos and Pop Tarts, otherwise, the human race might have become extinct by now! In the 1700’s the average person consumed about 4 lbs of sugar per YEAR. Today, according to some sources, more than 50% of Americans consume 1/2 lb of sugar per DAY!

Sadly, MOST Americans EXCEED the daily recommendations for added SUGAR,

FATS and SODIUM. We’re eating too much, too often and too late.

On two separate occasions Jesus stormed into the Temple in Jerusalem and chased out the money changers, traders and their livestock. Why? Because they defiled His Temple. When it comes to eating habits of professed Christians an analogy can be drawn with the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple and our bodies. Think about it, OUR BODIES are REALLY the TEMPLE of GOD!

Imagine if Jesus dropped by our homes for a visit some afternoon; bypassed the DVD’s, video games, computers, flat screen TV’s and peeked into our refrigerators and pantries. Do you think He would be compelled to throw out some items of food or beverages?

Continue the scenario. What if Jesus visited our church on Sabbath morning and stayed for potluck? Would He be pleased with the food we serve each other as well as our visitors? OR, would He feel like tipping over the dessert table? The question begs to be asked: are we honoring God with our bodies by bringing all manner of sugary treats into His Temple (fellowship hall) for everyone to indulge their sugar cravings?

Some might go all week long, exercise good eating choices, then come to church to be tempted. Could we be placing a stumbling block for some with less will power than ourselves? Some might think this is an extreme analogy; however, many have voiced concern regarding this very topic.

I’m sure we can all agree there is a strong correlation between what we eat and our health.

Consider a few statistics:

According to the American Cancer Society 1 in 3 men will develop cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
According to the American Heart Association cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer among women!!
Approximately 30% of teens are affected by atherosclerosis.
More than 100 MILLION U.S. adults are now living with DIABETES or PREDIABETES!
JAMA Internal Medicine found that individuals had more than twice the risk of DYING from heart disease if they consumed 25% or more of their total calories intake from SUGAR!

When it comes to eating habits the choice is ours...