Feeding Your Emotions
We all say it! In fact, we even sing about it too!
· Don’t mind me, I’m “hangry!”
· I’m going to just go home and eat my emotions away!
· I didn’t have my coffee yet!
· I’m not responsible for anything said before I’ve had my coffee!
· Eat your feelings!
· Comfort food!
· You deserve this! I deserve this!
· I worked hard for this reward!
We’ve all seen those movies, or even a snippet of those movies, right? A sad girl gets dumped by her boyfriend, sending her into this downward spiral where the only answer is a ½ gallon of fudge swirl extra dark chocolate ice cream with a big spoon and a comfy couch. While the entertainment industry has made this cute sappy story entertaining to watch, they are sadly so right about one thing: people will try to eat their feelings away. And in reality, it’s not cute at all-It’s deceiving, unfulfilling, and mentally and physically harmful.
Think about it, we do this all the time. That chocolate bar that’s in the freezer, just waiting for the right stressed-out moment to be a reward. Or that cup of coffee in the morning that excuses all unwanted interactions until the cup is finally empty. The cup itself might even say so on it: Danger! I didn’t have my coffee yet! Or that salty large fry from the closest fast-food restaurant. Think about the last time you were stressed, under a deadline or focused on an undesirable task. What was the first thing you reached for after you were done? Chocolate, a coke, chips, sweets, fries, a drink? Was it a healthy choice? Was it an appropriate amount? Or did it end up like one of those situations where you hit the bottom of the chip bag before you realized it? People find themselves in these situations, and trying believe lies about eating unhealthy food.
Food was made to be a good thing. God created humans in a way that we need food to help us function. A reminder that we need our Father in heaven and depend on Him and His Son, Jesus, to carry us and feed us. Sadly, people have turned to food, not only for fuel but also for emotional support. Anything in excess can have negative effects, including things that were made to be good. When happening rarely, one might not see the effects, but when it continues to occur and becomes an unhealthy pattern, food is no longer a nutrient fuel; it is a device used to solve a problem that is unresolved in the end, AND it can leave lasting negative mental and health effects.
Our good Father in Heaven, sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, so that we may have access to Jesus’ inheritance: all that Jesus deserves and is given by His good Father, can now be ours in Christ Jesus. When in lacking or in need, or weak we can turn to our Savior and be fed by the Word of God and receive real lasting effects. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” All we have to do is to seek and ask God for all that we need when it comes to our emotions. This can look like many different things. It can be prayer, reading scripture and meditating on his Word, seeking counsel from seasoned friends that know the Lord and his word or have struggle with this before.
Don’t let your feelings control your eating habits. Next time, you feel yourself reaching for that comfort food or getting real “hangry,” seek the Lord and ask for His help!
- Genna Dimmick 1/11/23