It’s Eve’s Fault!

Have you ever wondered why humans have such an obsession with food?

Social and family gatherings revolve around food.

Holidays are planned around it.

The topic pops up in our casual daily conversation.

Places are identified with it (Philly cheesesteak), or labeled by it: Who doesn’t know where the Big Apple is?

Babies are even named after types of fare (Cherry, Chip) and brands (Del Monte). And if we weren’t inspired to actually name our children after a delicious entrée or fabulous dessert, there is no shortage of food nicknames most of us saddle them with, especially when they are little. (I must confess, Rachel is often peanut-girl or pumpkin, and when they were young, the boys suffered through variations of pookie-pie).

So what gives? Where did such a fascination come from?

I blame Eve. Yep, the Garden of Eden Eve.

After all, she is the mother of all things. And she did usher in sin through food, right?

In fact, the only thing forbidden to the first man and woman was food. Not all food, just the “fruit” of one tree.

I can imagine Eve staring at it, day after day as it dangles succulently. She can almost taste it melting in her mouth.

The fragrance of the fresh fruit wafts on the breeze. Her defenses weaken, and a seemingly innocent question posed by the evil one does her in. She cannot resist anymore. One bite, could that hurt anything?

I’d likely give in as well (and often do).

Spring ahead nearly 8,000 years, and we are still living out the consequences of Eve’s lust for refreshment.

I wonder if the reason God chose food as the forbidden item is it stimulates so many of our senses: It’s often packaged invitingly. We smell it, taste it, feel it. It’s tempting in many avenues.

However, food is also a great blessing. It comforts, nourishes, and invites. But it is a blessing easily abused; one that led to a cursed world.

God invites us to enjoy His gift of food, but we are cautioned to keep our desires in check. To avoid making it the object of our affections as Eve did.

So, go ahead, plan on indulging in that creamy morsel of dark chocolate or the mouthwatering juiciness of berries, but periodically, consider denying yourself, providing a check for the place food holds in your life. This practice of sacrifice helps avoid the temptation that trapped Eve.

Then, hopefully, when we meet Jesus face to face, He will consider us fruit “sweet to [His] taste” (Song of Songs 2:3).

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name”  (Hebrews 13:15).

Questions for you: I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this subject! What are your favorite food nicknames? Have you formed a theory on man’s obsession with food?

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