ITIS

You know the strangest thing about eating your favorite, well-seasoned plate of Thanksgiving dinner? The one with all the fixings and trimmings of soul food prepared the exact way you like it? You know the greens doused in bacon, hot sauce and salt; the sweet potatoes that are loaded with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; the honey glazed ham with the juicy pineapples on the top; the loaded cornbread dressing; the best seafood gumbo known to man; the spicy turkey wings, golden fried chicken and don’t forget the four-cheese mac ‘n cheese with a hint of crunch around the edges? Yeah, that plate. The strangest thing about it is the initial excitement and sweet satisfaction you experience while eating it that leads right to the subtle, sluggish crash you experience shortly after you finish. Now, of course your first plate is just a routine taste test to make sure that your favorite aunt actually did prepare the food and didn’t let your cousin, who can’t boil a pot of rice to save her life, even get close to the kitchen. You just have to be sure that nobody decided to experiment with the recipes because, God forbid they screw up your favorite dish.

Now that second plate?…. that one is a little more special to you because this time you’re a little more generous with the serving spoon and you even squeeze in a serving of peach cobbler and a nicely portioned slice of your favorite dessert pie that your aunt hid in her secret stash, just for you. You can’t help but love her, right? But, not even ten minutes after you’ve wiped the corners of your mouth, sat back on the old worn couch that seems to wrap around you like a glove, and unbuttoned the top button of your “comfortable” pants for slight relief, you find that you barely have enough strength to keep your eyes focused on the football game you and your cousins talked so much about the night before. All of a sudden, you have become overwhelmingly tired and you just need a good nap before you re-up. We typically call this feeling, “itis”.

This is probably the most appropriate term because it perfectly describes what is actually occurring. Your body is simply reacting to what you’ve put inside of it, letting you know that it wasn’t built to properly digest all of that. And we’re not just talking about volume… Did you know that “itis” actually means a tendency or state of mind that is compared to a disease? This term is also used when forming names of inflammatory diseases. Is it possible that this way of eating has laid out a fresh welcome mat for sickness and disease in your body? Now hold on before you roll your eyes and “x” out of the screen, let’s just consider what your body has been trying to tell you all along. It’s been said that if you don’t understand the purpose of a thing, you’ll abuse it. Perhaps we haven’t really understood the purpose of our bodies, and without even knowing it, we’ve abused them for years with our eating.

Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made with the intrinsic ability to heal and repair itself when properly nourished. It was never meant to consume dead foods full of toxins and foreign chemicals. God’s original plan was for us to eat live foods that would nurture our cells and sustain our youth (Gen. 1:29). Somehow, we’ve traded that plan for taste and convenience, not realizing we were betraying our health the entire time. Now, I know you don’t think it’s that serious because there are tons of medications, treatments and shots for disease today. But what if I told you that you don’t have to settle for living on prescriptions and medications? You can actually live a life of health and vitality, without all of the side effects, by simply cooperating with God’s original meal plan.

The value of a thing is determined by the price that was paid for it. And your life and health are far more valuable than your favorite dish. God literally paid for your health once and for all with the life of His Son, Jesus. He took away sickness and disease and made the way for you to live in total and complete health (Isaiah 53:5). Certainly, His life is far more valuable than the value pack of chicken your aunt found at the local food mart. So, don’t betray your own health when you’ve been given the perfect recipe for a disease-free life. Every time you sit down to eat, imagine yourself sitting at a specially reserved table with a fresh spread of health, life and vitality. Then make food choices that honor the price that was paid for you to sit there. I can guarantee that your life will become a sign and a wonder to all who know and love you. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the first to break the cycle of disease in your family…including your aunt.