What Does Biblical Self-Discipline Look Like In Your Eating?

Learn what biblical self-discipline looks like in your eating. Learn the insights and practical examples for aligning your food choices with faith.

One of my very favorite snacks growing up was chocolate fudge Pop-tarts. I ate them as snacks whenever we had them in the house — I loved them heated in the toaster, or cold right out of the package, either way was fine with me.

When I was young, I did not have to even think about what I ate because I was always thin and it never seemed to matter what I ate because nothing seemed to put the weight on; it was just a matter of how much room in my stomach I had for whatever it was I was eating!

Fast forward to the current day, and you will find that I am still a big fan of chocolate fudge Pop-tarts, but I definitely cannot eat them mindlessly like I want to! If they are in the house, I will eat them.

The last time I had a family size box of them, I realized I had eaten my way through almost the entire box in a matter of two days. That is the equivalent of eating a package of two at every meal — more than a thousand calories for a couple of snacks in a day! 

A verse of Scripture came to mind as I stood looking at the empty box I just recently purchased:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12

I quickly realized that I had a problem with discipline when it came to eating this favorite snack, because it was mastering me. I was not that young girl who could eat anything and not pay the price for it; my health and weight were suffering because I could not discipline myself to eat a small amount of this food. I knew I needed to do something about it to correct my relationship with food.

Have you had a similar experience with food where you realize you struggle with mindless eating or a lack of biblical self-discipline as it relates to weight loss or a specific food?

Have you been wanting to find a way to combine Biblical nutrition and health? If you are eager to understand what self-discipline looks like in your eating and are looking for practical, faith-based guidance, then this article will help you.

Understanding and implementing biblical self-discipline can lead to healthier eating habits and spiritual growth. Keep reading to learn what biblical self-discipline looks like in your eating and discover insights and practical examples for aligning your food choices with faith.

Understanding Biblical Self-Discipline

Gotquestions.org gives a helpful definition of self-discipline as it is presented in the Bible:

“[Self-discipline] refers to our ability to control or restrain ourselves from all kinds of feelings, impulses, and desires, which includes the desire for physical and material comfort. Now, even though self-control is the last of the spiritual fruits mentioned by Paul, and even though it is a term not used extensively in the Bible, self-control is clearly an indispensable attribute of the Christian life, especially as our unredeemed flesh sometimes causes us to succumb to the persistent tug of our sinful desires.“

Got Questions on Biblical self-dicipline

The definition goes on to emphasize that self-control is a work of the Holy Spirit, not a work of the individual — you cannot produce this fruit of the Spirit on your own.

Even so, as a believer, you need to be active in keeping yourself under control, practicing mastery over your inner desires, thoughts, actions, and words. It is impossible to live a godly life and please God without self-control because your flesh wants only to please itself.

Self-control is vital in a Christian’s life because without it you will become a slave to your passions and desires. As Becky of So Very Blessed says in an article about worshiping food:

“Any time our sinful desires become compulsions that we can’t stop, that’s a chain enslaving us to whatever that thing may be.” 

So Very Blessed on worshipping food

This article really spoke to me because it showed me clearly that my love for chocolate Pop-tarts is a chain enslaving me when I am unable to keep myself from eating them, and it also gave solutions and help for overcoming that kind of compulsion. Becky goes on to talk about ways you can break that bondage and grow in self-discipline.

Biblical examples

A couple of examples from the Bible illustrate the importance of self-discipline.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 talks about a metaphor of running a race, saying:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

This passage provides a great picture of the discipline it takes to be committed to something. Athletes dedicate their time and effort to training in order to have the stamina, strength, and speed they need to win the race or succeed in their sport.

Your need for self-discipline and training is similar to that of an athlete. You need to be like the athlete who strikes their body into submission in a dedicated effort to win.

Your purpose in doing this is to become more like Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you are able to discipline your body with strict self-control in your diet, exercise, sleep, and lifestyle choices.

Proverbs 25:16 talks about moderation in consumption when it says:

If you find honey, eat just enough – too much of it, and you will vomit.

Proverbs 25:16

This verse is warning about the dangers of over-eating — basically, you will get an upset stomach if you eat too much! Honey is a deliciously sweet food, and it can be enjoyed when eaten in moderation. Eating too much, however, will cause discomfort and even illness. In reasonable doses, any food, drink or other activity can be enjoyed, but even good things become harmful when you don’t practice moderation and self-control.

Faith and Obedience

Your faith is a strong foundation for helping you become more established in self-discipline. This is true for any area of your life which requires self-control, but it is especially true with eating.

When you are lazy and undisciplined in your eating and health, the rest of your life will reflect that lack of discipline.

The daily spiritual disciplines you participate in to strengthen your faith — reading Scripture, taking quiet time before the Lord, prayer — can suffer when you are not practicing self-control with your health. 

Because you are designed by God with the need to eat frequently to sustain your body, the urge to overeat is always going to be with you. Learning to obey God with your eating habits and developing self-control when faced with food decisions is so important. 

Practices like prayer, Bible study, meditation, confession, worship, and celebration are all necessary in your life for developing a strong and lasting faith as you become connected to the One who is all powerful and who gives you the help you need to succeed in your walk with Him.

Faith and obedience to God give you the desire to do everything possible to pursue Him and to run the race in such a way that you win — including practicing discipline in your eating habits.

The Importance of Self-Discipline in Eating

According to Roshan George writing in an article on the importance of food discipline,

“Food discipline is an important part of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It involves making conscious decisions about what food to eat, when to eat it, and how much of it should be consumed. Food discipline can help improve overall health by providing the body with essential nutrients needed for growth and development as well as helping maintain a healthy weight. In addition to this, practicing food discipline can also reduce stress levels since it provides structure in one’s life which helps keep anxiety at bay.”

Roshan George

Connection to Weight Loss

Self-discipline contributes to successful weight loss because it helps you establish a healthy relationship to food. When you lack control, you tend to eat for other reasons than hunger; you let your emotions or your cravings decide when and what you will eat and to stop (or not stop!).

But self-discipline can help you overcome emotional eating as you establish a habit of eating only when you are hungry and not because you have a strong appetite and liking for food, or a craving you feel you must satisfy.

Physical and Spiritual Health

Practicing self-discipline so that you develop a healthy relationship with food helps you properly care for your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

You have a responsibility to take care of your body as best you can, in the same way that a temple is taken care of, respected, and kept clean. You are honoring God, your Maker, when you treat your body with respect through mindful eating practices and getting adequate rest.

Making proper food choices is a very important part of establishing a habit of self-discipline. A good example of someone who made healthy food choices in the Bible is Daniel in the Old Testament.

Daniel 1:8-16 tells the story of Daniel, who is taken as a captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. He and his friends choose not to eat the food that the king gives them because to do so would go against God’s command to them as Jews, and they wanted to honor God.

They chose to eat only vegetables and drink water, and God blessed them for their self-control and gave them excellent health.

There is also an example of someone who did not have self-control and paid a price for it. Genesis 25:29-34 tells the story of Esau, who was ruled by his hunger and wanted instant gratification with his food to the extent that he was willing to sell his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew.

Eating something he desired at the moment meant more to him than a tremendously valuable gift from God.

What Biblical Self-Discipline Looks Like in Your Eating

Portion Control

While portion control is not specifically taught as one of the dietary guidelines from scripture, it is implied in a number of Bible passages.

1 Corinthians 6:12 says:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 

1 Corinthians 6:12

This verse is a reminder to not let yourself be controlled by any food craving, but instead, be mindful of what you are eating and the amounts, and practice self-control so that you don’t become enslaved by your food cravings.

Romans 14:2 says:

One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

Romans 14:2

This passage highlights the importance of respecting individual choices and needs concerning food, particularly because dietary needs in modern days can be influenced by a number of different factors besides health.

When you respect a person’s choices about food portions and types of food, you are in agreement with the biblical principle of loving your neighbor and not imposing your own standards on others.

1 Timothy 6:8 says:

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 Timothy 6:8

This verse is a reminder to be thankful and satisfied with what God provides. If you can find contentment in having enough it can help you manage your food portions better, promoting well-being and better eating habits.

Luke 10:8 says:

When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.

Luke 10:8

This is another verse that suggests that gratitude is important. When you apply it to food portions, it can teach you to be grateful and appreciative of what God has provided.

Finally, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says:

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

1 Corinthians 10:31

This verse is a reminder to keep your focus on the Lord as you eat and as you make your food choices; doing so will help you remain mindful and aware of your eating habits as you honor Him.

Keeping these principles in mind, here are a few tips for how to practice portion control:

• Express gratitude before eating, even if it is just a snack
• Eat mindfully, paying attention to what you are eating, taking small breaks and chewing slowly so that you savor the food and also are better aware of when you are full
• If restricting a food makes you crave it more, allow yourself a small portion and enjoy it; on the other hand, if you find yourself too tempted to eat too much of something that is a trigger food, then it is okay to avoid it.

Here are some other practical tips to help you practice discipline in portion control:

• use a smaller plate to serve up your meal
• fill half your plate with veggies and have smaller portions of other foods
• drink more water
• measure your serving sizes to be sure you are not actually eating more than you should
• measure out snacks and have them ready to go in appropriate serving size portions
• measure what you eat; don’t eat out of containers or boxes

Choosing Healthy Foods

In Genesis 1:29, God says,

“I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”

Genesis 1:29

This verse reveals that God has given you an abundance of nutritious foods to eat that are tasty and also good for your body — and you have permission to eat them!

Eating a diet that emphasizes holistic health, that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help you maintain good health and can help prevent illness when eaten in proper proportions.

God provides many foods to enjoy, and you will greatly honor Him when you eat food appropriately — being mindful of good nutrition as well as proportions and quantities. Listening to the Holy Spirit will help you make good choices and maintain mindful eating practices.

Mindful Eating Practices

Sara of The Holy Mess defines mindful eating as

“a conscious effort to slow down and pay attention to your food and body while eating.” She goes on to say that “mindful eating can help with weight loss and is also important for tuning in to learning your body’s signals. This approach increases your awareness of how you choose the foods and amounts of foods you eat.”

The Holy Mess on Mindful Eating

One of the things you can do to eat more mindfully, according to Sara’s article on 20 Ways to Eat Mindfully, is to pray before every meal and snack. It has already been mentioned in this article how important it is to be grateful for the food God has provided.

It cannot be emphasized too much that this is a very effective way of practicing mindfulness as you eat. Prayer before eating helps you to focus on God rather than yourself, allowing you to be more intentional in your gratitude. Being intentional is what mindfulness is all about: paying attention to what you are eating, why you are eating, and how you are eating.

Daily Routines

You can establish a habit of biblical self-discipline in eating with some attention to your daily routines. Here are a few ideas of things you can do every day to help you establish better self-control in your eating:

• practice pausing before you eat, to ask yourself if you are really hungry or are you eating for some other reason (this is a very helpful method for overcoming emotional eating because the pause helps you identify why you are actually eating).
• eat with the television turned off and your phone in the other room.
• set the table so that it is beautiful and sit down to eat.
• plan your meals ahead of time so that you know what you will eat  when you are hungry.
• grocery shop with purpose by planning your menus, shopping the perimeter of the store where healthy, fresh foods are available, and reading labels for good ingredients.

Overcoming Challenges to Biblical Self-Discipline in Eating

Common Obstacles

There are a number of obstacles that are commonly faced when trying to be more disciplined and mindful on your journey to Christian weight loss. Some of these obstacles are:

• Time constraints: meal planning and meal preparation can be time consuming.
• Emotional eating: stress eating and compulsive eating can lead to higher caloric intake, especially if you are not really hungry but are eating as a coping mechanism.
• Plateaus: being stuck in your weight loss progress in spite of being disciplined can be discouraging and make you feel like giving up.
• Social pressure: social media as well as friends or peers can pressure you into giving in to eating or making bad choices.
• Cravings: many things contribute to unwanted food cravings and it is hard to remain disciplined when faced with a craving.

Strategies

Thankfully, there are some actionable strategies for overcoming these obstacles:

• Time constraints: schedule your meal prep; meal plan at the same time every week; ask for help from the family to share the workload.
• Emotional eating: determine what triggers you to want to eat when you are not hungry; pause and pray before eating if you aren’t really hungry; engage in a stress-reducing activity instead of eating like going for a walk; seek help from a supportive community for help with overcoming emotional eating.
• Plateaus: keep on being disciplined and don’t give up; make small adjustments like changing your caloric intake or increasing the number of vegetables you are eating.
• Social pressure: don’t compare yourself to what people show as the norm on social media; bring your own healthy snacks to social events; plan activities with your friends that don’t revolve around food; don’t be afraid to say no when pressured; seek the support of a community that understands the struggle and will help you deal with the pressure.
• Cravings: deal with what might be causing the craving such as sleep deficiency or a medication you are taking; drink some water first to see if you are just thirsty; remove the food that you crave from sight; pause, pray and plan to have the food you crave at a scheduled time as part of your meal plan.
• Above all else, get in the habit of bringing your struggle to God in prayer and to a supportive community that understands the struggle with Christian weight loss.

Accountability

It is very important to have accountability partners in dieting. Someone to support you and keep you motivated and on track is such a blessing and it will help you stay disciplined, as well.

If you are looking for community support for weight loss, you are invited to join our Free Christian Weight Loss for Women Community for support, motivation, encouragement, and accountability in your healthy eating journey.

The Spiritual Benefits of Practicing Self-Discipline in Eating

Spiritual Growth

It is actually possible to attain spiritual growth through diet. Remember the comparison made earlier in this article between self-discipline and running a race? When running a race, you are training yourself to be disciplined and you have a specific goal in mind that you achieve when you win.

That purpose for the Christian is to become more like Christ and to achieve a closer relationship with God through prayer, gratitude and practicing mindfulness.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you are able to discipline your body with strict self-control in your diet, exercise, sleep, and lifestyle choices, and this results in godliness as you become the person God created you to be.

You will be more aware of God speaking to you as you pray before you eat, as you listen to the Spirit guiding you as to whether you are hungry or not, and as you seek guidance in making healthy choices for your eating.

Scriptural Stories

The Bible tells of several people whose stories illustrate the benefits of discipline. Two of these stories relate well to the topics in this article.

The first of these is Daniel. Daniel, after being taken into captivity, asked for permission to refrain from eating the food and wine given to him by the king. He was disciplined in what he ate and drank, and this honored God.

Daniel also remained disciplined and faithful in his prayer habits, even when a decree was issued that forbade him from praying to anyone except the king. God rewarded his faithfulness by protecting him from death.

The other person was Jesus himself. Matthew 1:1-11 tells the story of how Jesus faced temptation from Satan in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days. Satan wanted Jesus to take short cuts that would go against God’s will, but Jesus knew scripture well and had spent much time in prayer to God and knew that what Satan was suggesting went against God’s plan.

He was able to resist Satan’s words by quoting scripture to him and sending him away, after which God sent angels to attend to Jesus’ needs.

Prayer and Reflection

Daniel and Jesus, along with other well-disciplined people of God, made prayer and reflection a daily practice as they sought communion with God continually and pursued serving Him fully in all that they did in life.

By incorporating prayer and reflection as a regular practice in your life, you will also be able to maintain your focus on spiritual and physical health.

Practical Tips for Implementing Biblical Self-Discipline in Eating

Some tips for managing disciplined portion control have already been mentioned earlier in the article, but what are some other practical tips for implementing biblical self-discipline in eating?

Meal Planning

Meal planning is the process of organizing your meals ahead of time, often for a whole week. This process involves selecting recipes, creating a grocery list, and sometimes even preparing, washing, or cooking ingredients in advance.

The benefit to meal planning is that your cooking is streamlined, it is easier to make sure you have nutritious meals available, and you make fewer decisions about what to eat when you are hungry and in a hurry to eat.

Meal planning is a powerful tool that can help you develop better eating habits, be more mindful about what you are eating, and reduce stress around mealtime.

A suggested step by step guide for meal planning follows:

• Make a list of food you want to eat and plan which foods will be for which meal.
• Locate the recipes either in cookbooks or online, being sure to include healthy choices for all meals and snacks.
• Create a shopping list for what you need.
• Decide what your meal prep technique will be (prepare entire meals in advance, batch cooking and freezing in appropriate portion sizes, making use of leftovers for some meals during the week, preparing ingredients ahead of time to make cooking a shorter process, or a combination of several techniques).
• Pick a day of the week for your grocery shopping and your prep work; it can be the same day or one day for the shopping and one for the food preparation.
• Start simple — if you have not done much planning before, start with planning just one meal for each day of the week; then as you get better at implementing your plan, add a second and a third meal.

Setting Realistic Goals

Setting goals for your weight loss is a helpful aid to becoming more disciplined. But your goals need to be more than just saying, “I need to lose weight” or “I want to eat more fruit.” Your goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and timely — otherwise known as SMART goals.

Setting SMART goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation, while also helping you focus on organizing your time and resources to be successful as you pursue your weight loss journey in faith.

Some examples of goals that fit the SMART criteria are:

• lose 1/2 pound per week by staying within 1600 calories per day to reach your goal weight in 6 months
• walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, starting on Sunday this coming week
• walk for 20 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays around my neighborhood in order to lose 3lbs by November 1st

Your SMART goals can be made to suit your own needs and expectations, depending on what you are hoping to achieve. Your goals should provide you with a clear purpose that can be measured, and lead to successful goal completion that feels straightforward and stress-free.

Encouragement

Remember that it is important to remain persistent and to celebrate the small victories in your weight loss journey. This will help you stay motivated and focused on the outcome you want to achieve, while not becoming discouraged..

FAQs About Biblical Self Discipline in Eating

Biblical self-discipline is important because it can lead to healthier eating habits and spiritual growth as you learn better control with your food choices and learn to lean on God when you are struggling.

As a believer, you need to be active in keeping yourself under control, practicing mastery over your inner desires, thoughts, actions, and words. It is impossible to live a godly life and please God without self-control because your flesh wants only to please itself.

In my own life, as I sought to discipline my eating when it came to triggering foods such as chocolate fudge Pop-tarts, I learned that the best way for me to resist that temptation was not to buy them!

As I learn better and better discipline in my eating, and learn to trust God and His guidance with my food choices, perhaps I will reach a point when I can eat 1/2 of a serving for a treat and savor it and leave the rest alone for another day — but until I can, I am better off not buying them!

I encourage you to reflect on your own eating habits and consider implementing biblical principles of self-discipline in your own life for improved health and well-being.

Find Your Faith and Fitness with the New COURSE SUNSET

More Healthy Eating Tips For You:

Why Portion Control Is Important & How To Get It Right

7 Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips for Weight Loss

How To Stop Feeling Guilty After Eating — 3 Ways in Christ