Why Do You Eat And Drink?

Why Do You Eat and Drink?

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. . . . Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:10-11

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

1 Timothy 4:4-5

What did you have for dinner tonight? Was it roast beef or spaghetti or tacos? Did you drink water or milk or lemonade? And more important, did you eat and drink to the glory of God?

That’s kind of a hard question to answer, isn’t it? Maybe you would say, “I just ate it. I didn’t know it had anything to do with God.” But God wants to be involved and considered in even the most ordinary aspects of our lives. Sin is not just a list of bad things people do (like stealing and lying and killing). Sin is anything we do that we don’t do for the glory of God. It is living life apart from him with no thought of him. To do all things for the glory of God is to reorient everything about our lives so they revolve around him. It is to consider him and his Kingdom purposes in everything we do.

So how do you eat spaghetti and drink lemonade to the glory of God? You begin by receiving it as a gift from him, offering a prayer of gratitude. You put others first—which may mean you don’t take the biggest, best meatball for yourself. You make choices about what you eat, how you eat, and who you eat with based not on what pleases you but on what pleases God. You see your meal as God providing you with what you need so you can live all out for him.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What is your favorite meal? How can you eat it to God’s glory?

Does doing everything to God’s glory have more to do with what we do, how we do it, or why we do it?

What are some ways your family can bring glory to God at your dinner table?