As a Christian man, you should eat with the conviction that “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21), rather than eating in a way that’s primarily self-indulgent and self-oriented. It’s often easier to gravitate toward snack foods that are higher in sugar and processed components. But the mission we’re called to isn’t about serving our tastebuds.

For some reason, many American men have bought into the notion that careless and indulgent eating is a sign of masculinity. It’s largely assumed that salads and early morning walks are for women. Meanwhile, it’s considered normal for men to be hunkered down on the couch watching baseball, with a can of beer in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other. In many circles there can be an unspoken rule that the more manly you are, the less concerned you’ll be about the calories and contents in your food.

But we need to stop and ask questions here, especially as Christians. Why should we think that an attitude like that is inherently masculine? Is the ideal man really someone who’s dismissive of life decisions and dull in his thinking? Or – I think the answer is obvious here – is the ideal man someone who’s dialed in, and devoted to living for God?

As God-fearing men, you and I have an obligation to be wise and right in our decisions. The reality of Jesus Christ’s rescue operation, to free us from sin’s corruption and curse, should motivate us to be intentional with how we live. This is, after all, the logic of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:20 gives the reminder that, “[Y]ou were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.” And one of the ways we should rightly glorify God with our body, is by giving attention to how we eat.

Godly Goals in Your Eating Habits

Though I’ll intersperse some insight on what we should eat over the course of this article, the primary issue I want to encourage Christian men in is how we eat. After all, the the specifics of what an appropriate diet looks like won’t be exactly the same for everyone reading this article. But the issue of universal importance is to have the right principles guiding us in our eating decisions. As men who take God’s Word seriously, here are three goals that you and I should aim for when we sit down at the table for mealtime:

Have Moderation on Your Menu

First, a Godly man should aim to have moderation in what he eats, both in the volume of food that he eats, as well as in the variety of food that he eats. When men eat amounts of food that are immoderate, this is what the Bible calls gluttony. In the Old Testament law, God clearly communicated that gluttony is a manifestation of rebelliousness and sin (Deuteronomy 21:20). Engaging in gluttony is forbidden in Biblical wisdom literature, and is associated with grievous life outcomes (Proverbs 23:20-21; 28:7). And the New Testament, as well, identifies gluttony as disgraceful (Luke 7:34; Titus 1:12). When Jesus teaches about the heaven-bound beggar Lazarus and the hell-bound rich man, the rich man’s self-indulgent, sumptuous feasting is identified as an expression of his ungodliness (Luke 16:19). Clearly, this should have an impact on how we understand ideal masculinity. Consuming 45 hotdogs in half an hour shouldn’t be admired as a feat of manhood, but instead should be addressed as a failure of manhood. The Lord calls his people to moderation in the volume of what they eat.

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