Train Your Child

Children in our country are suffering from obesity and its related disorders at alarming rates. They are taking medications for hypertension and Type II diabetes, which only occurred in adults a generation ago.  Some of them are even dying.  The Bible clearly commands us to train our children in the way that they should go.  This Biblical principle also applies to teaching them to honor Christ with their bodies by making healthy food choices.  1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  Likewise, the Bible teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, which is defined in Scripture as a house or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, we’re 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 commands us to honor God with our bodies because Jesus bought us at the price of His life.

Consequently, teaching your children to eat for God's glory and to maintain the Lord's house (temple) should be part of how your household serves the Lord (Jeremiah 30:17).  Teach them now that the Holy Spirit is NOT pleased when His home is kept in disrepair. 
God's promise is that our children will practice what they've been taught when they grow up (Proverbs 22:6).  If you fail to teach them, you leave them at the mercy of the world’s system which plans to ensnare them and keep them bound until they die from an obesity related disease.  In other words, Satan will use your child’s ignorance of God's Word against him or her.  The Bible confirms this fact in Hosea 4:6 which states, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because they have rejected knowledge..."  Conversely, the opposite is true when your child is armed with the Word of God.  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).”
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The devil's plan is to steal years off of your child’s life by keeping him or her entangled with the sin of gluttony.  If successful, gluttony will ultimately bring about your child’s untimely death and destroy the abundant life God meant for him or her to share with your family.  Don't let the enemy win!  Seek the knowledge of God in regard to training your child to eat for His glory and help your child win the battle to lose weight and lead a long, healthy life.  Lastly, pray for them.  Pray that your child is blessed with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to understand the Biblical principles that teach them how to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle through Christ.  Pray that they submit to godly discipline which you enforce in your home regarding healthy eating habits and that they will be blessed with long life for adhering to what they were taught (Proverbs 22:6).  Ask that they are given wisdom to continue eating for God’s glory when they reach adulthood and teach their children to do the same.  Pray that they never again become entangled with the sin of gluttony (Proverbs 23:20-21, 28:7; Deut. 21:18-21) or "make a god of their belly" (Philippians 3:18b-19).  It's time for parents to be parents again. Then we can stop attending funerals for 36-year olds who have dropped dead of heart attacks and strokes because we'll have the right to claim God's promise over the lives of our children even in terms of eating healthy and maintaining a healthy body weight.  

If you’re ready to take your child’s health back from the enemy, become a part of the EAW Kidz Initiative!  Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning January 3, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time for the Eating as an Act of Worship Kidz Initiative Weight Loss Course for kids and parents dealing with obesity and/or its related illnesses.  During the 12-week weight loss course, you and your child will learn the Biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  The course can be taken in person or online via Periscope, a free app for your phone or tablet.  Simply download www.periscope.tv and follow http://periscope.tv/eatactworship.  To register for the class, visit our website at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org and choose 12-week course.
 
Ann Wooten-Taylor, C.E.O.
Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries