Today the book talked about anticipating a certain food, eating it, and realizing it wasn't the taste, texture, flavor, etc. that you wanted it to be. But, you continue eating it to see if it maybe will change and become better. After the whole experience, you feel disappointed. They used chocolate cake as an example, and if I had eaten an entire piece of chocolate cake and was still disappointed, I would actually be bitter at the amount of calories I had invested in that damn thing as well.
The moral of the story is, if you don't like something, don't continue to eat it--and I think its referring especially to foods that your eating as a bonus or special foods. But I guess it could be talking about regular food too. Now that I think about it, I don't really eat foods that I don't enjoy. I don't force foods on myself that I know I don't like...oh except oatmeal haha. The thing is, a lot of the foods that I "don't like" or don't think I like actually become foods that I enjoy.
Like my wheat bread. Didn't really like it at first, now, I'm ok with it. I enjoy my sandwiches and don't miss the white bread too much.
I liked this quote: "Perhaps you think that wanting your favorite food seems 'bad,' so you force yourself to eat something you don't like."
I think a lot of people struggle with that. I know I've struggled with that in past diets. You think the very thing you want and the fact that you want it is bad so you end up eating plain asparagus or broccoli, or something that doesn't taste very good without any good flavors. Before I'd just assume I couldn't have a certain food, instead of looking up recipes, looking at calories and fat content, and seeing if I could still have it but in a different way or adjusted somehow. Wanting fatty food isn't bad. We all want food that's bad for us. We just need to have it in the right portions, and not all the time. And if you can find a lower calorie solution, even more perfect.
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn who does, for GOd has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand for the Lord is able to make him stand...If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification." Romans 14:1-4, 15-19
It's hard for me, when I think of someone as "weak" (as described in the passage) to not see them as..."worse." That word "weak" holds negative implications in mind mind. I would never like to be considered that. However, I think that's exactly the type of mindset that Paul is trying to discourage. It's not an us vs. them thing. It's a we're all in this together thing. I try to think of it not as "weak" but as someone who's in a different part of their walk, and is trying to figure out the God stuff too. Who am I to "look down upon" someone who is following God and trying to look to him in his journey? God has different paths for all of us and speaks different passions into our hearts. It's not my place to look at someone with derision, but to look at them and appreciate where they are.
I like that it emphasizes that it's the responsibility of those stronger in faith to submit to the ideals of those weaker in faith. That that, is love. Not parading our freedoms in front of people who would be appalled by them. I am many times guilty of doing this to my more conservative counterparts...flaunting my freedom and knowing that they're probably gasping and all abuzz at my sinfulness. I think that at some points, you just need to be yourself. At most points, if it's going to cause someone to stumble. If it's going to cause them to doubt their faith and doubt God, then I need to cool it down. Causing someone to stumble in their faith is a high price to pay for me wanting to flaunt my freedoms. It's actually not worth it. I don't want to cause people pain, and I don't want them to doubt what God has done and spoken to them because of my insensitivity. We have a responsibility to each other. And that means to act in love...even if it means I have to say no to some of the things I might do otherwise...mmmm good word.
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