Finding Comfort in God Instead of Food

How many times have we had an exhausting day at work, it’s late at night, we come home, and all we want is to relax. We have no time or better said, don’t want to have to cook a meal because we’re too tired. We reach for a bag of potato chips, maybe a soda and a candy bar for dessert. We try to relax watching a little TV, and all of a sudden, the stress is gone. I have to say, I’ve been there myself. It is very easy to fall for those unhealthy snacks, especially when we’ve had a long day and no energy left to prepare a meal.

This behavior may be familiar for many, and it is not particularly jaw-dropping but what’s happening in our hearts in those moments is what’s important. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with the food we pick, binge eating or snacking is unhealthy and can often turn into an addiction or health disorder. Some people may agree that these actions can move us away from the power of God. We are constantly tempted to use late-night snacking as a way to unwind after a stressful evening. It is easy to find comfort in food but don’t feel guilty because you ate a cookie and you shouldn’t have. The feelings of guilt and regret can create a lot of anxiety, and many times this can push us deeper into binge eating.

If you are tempted into binge snacking instead of feeling guilty when the temptation comes, think about what causes that feeling and take a different approach. Some people may think that not being able to resist temptation is caused by a lack of spiritual discipline. Maybe our spiritual routines have become stagnant, or we’re not prioritizing prayer enough. Now, recognizing that prayer and reading the Bible are essential, we must also acknowledge that God created us to maintain balance in our lives, including exercise, work, sleep, and other activities that impact our spiritual well-being. He created our body and gave us all the mechanisms to keep it healthy. For instance, I recall a particularly challenging week when I found myself overindulging in snacks; upon reflection, I realized that I had neglected my morning walks, which usually helped me clear my mind and set a positive tone for the day. I remember one morning, I decided to get back on track by taking a short walk around the block before breakfast, and it made a significant difference in my appetite and food choices throughout the day. In fact, I started small by committing to a 10-minute walk each morning, and soon found myself looking forward to that quiet time, using it to pray and set intentions for the day ahead.

One of the solutions to curb unhealthy snacking, aside from rest, is exercise. Many of us know that our body releases endorphins (brain chemicals) when we exercise; this mainly helps us deal with stress by producing some sort of pleasure effect that causes our body to feel more relaxed. This is why exercise is one of the best things we can do for our bodies and mind. So, while giving your body all those sugars when snacking may feel good and relaxing, it doesn’t have all the good and long-lasting results that exercise can provide you. If exercise isn’t your preference, you can always try to pick up a hobby or read a book to relax. Having pre-made simple but healthy snacks for those moments when cooking seems like too much effort is always a winner. Try to fill your fridge with healthy snacks, so next time you reach for a snack, it’ll be a tasty apple and some peanut butter.

Lastly, talk it out. We may feel utterly drained from our daily responsibilities, or we simply lack the motivation to do anything, but sometimes talking to someone about our day is all we need to feel a little better. Talk to God, present all your frustrations of your day to him, use those moments of temptation as an opportunity to seek God and get closer to him.