Jesus Is My Comfort Food - Encouragement Café - January 9

Jesus Is My Comfort Food
 By Carolyn Dale Newell

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”  John 6:35 NKJV

What is one of your first reactions to disappointment or bad news? How do you react when you are frustrated? Hopefully, your first reaction in both circumstances is prayer. However, is your first reaction, or at least your second one, to turn to food? Usually I stick to fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, but when something happens; I want to grab something unhealthy. It is hard enough to control cravings when your emotions are not spinning around, but when you feel sad or you get angry, you just have to turn to that comfort food. 

Wouldn’t it be better if we reached out to Jesus instead of chocolate or potato chips? Of course it would! However, I have even prayed with the food in my hand! 

I didn’t realize what I was really doing until I read a novel with a character that did the exact same thing. Then I heard a sermon about Jesus, the bread of life. I was convicted about turning to food during those moments of weakness, because Jesus is the true bread of life. What does that say to God? It says that I need something more than He can give me, and we all know that is a lie. 

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If so, would you join me in making a commitment to God? I want to prayerfully commit to turn to Him and Him alone when I get on the emotional roller coaster. Jesus Christ is the bread of life. He is my comfort food. He can satisfy me in ways that food cannot. When our world begins to crumble, join me at the foot of the cross to pray, and let’s not turn to comfort food, but to our Comforter.

One thing that helps me from turning to food the same way an alcoholic turns to the bottle, is self-discipline. Learn to turn down dessert for no other reason than to prove that you are in control. Learning to be self-disciplined will also help us in keeping a regular time of prayer and Bible study. However, we must commit all these things to prayer for it is only through God’s strength that we can accomplish them. 

Dear Lord, how fitting that we call this prayer time “dessert”. It is only through You that we are truly comforted. Help us to turn our cravings to You – the bread of life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Exchange fear for faith, worry for worship, and panic for peace with Carolyn’s new book, Eyes of Faith: Winning the Battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith.

For more encouragement, visit Carolyn at https://amountainoffaith.com/ 

© 2020 by Carolyn Dale Newell.  All rights reserved.

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