Whether You Eat or Drink...

Italian Sausage Meatballs

The prophet Isaiah said that we were created by God for His glory's sake. John Piper adds, " that means that we were all created to express the infinite worth of God's glory" (Taste and See, 175). This means that God created man to worship the highest of all worth; indeed, to worship the infinite worth of God.

Penne Rigate

Paul states in I Corinthians 10:31, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Add these two thoughts together, and Paul is saying that we must eat and drink and do all things in such a way that expresses the infinite worth of God. When I consider God's infinite worth, my thoughts move to the cross. Jesus died for His church, yet not because of my worth. Jesus died because of the infinite worth of God. God is mindful of us, lowly sinners (Psalm 8:4), not because we have such high worth, but because of God's infinite worth. God's infinite worth is not only expressed in the cross, but also in His sovereign providence in the daily tasks of believers. This leads my thoughts to baked penne rigate with Italian sausage meatballs.

God did not create all things in simply a manner of utility. What I mean is, God did not create everything to function like a giant, cold machine that simply works. He did not create food simply to sustain us. He created food that tastes good, drink that tastes good, and rather than by utilitarianism God created things to be enjoyed. You might call this hedonistic, and this would be fairly accurate. In sin, man takes this hedonism to different heights. Mankind takes food as sacrifice to idols (as in the context of I Corinthians 10:31) or make their appetites toward gluttonous indulgences as idols (Philippians 3:18-19). However, the ones called by the Name of Christ created for the glory of God is to eat and drink in such a manner to express the infinite worth of God. Baked penne tastes good and is pleasureful because God has infinite worth. We delight in food that tastes good and brings pleasure, but to Christians, God delights in blessing us with food that tastes good because He has infinite worth. The grand beauty of God in His creation of  food that tastes good brings pleasure to humanity who is blessed to enjoy food. Every time you eat food, consider the grand beauty of God in His creation of food that tastes good, His providence that blesses you with food, and let your heart and mind be held captive to the infinite worth of God that blesses us richly with even the most routine tasks of our daily lives such as eating and drinking. Fast to worship God as more valuable than food (which is His creation, so God is the greater), share food with others and do not omit telling of the glory of God when you do so, and receive and eat food with thanksgiving to God (I Timothy 4:3, I Corinthians 10:30). And whatever you do during the day, whatever task you are on whether at the dinner table or at work, do all things to the glory of God.

Final Product: Baked Penne Rigate with Italian Sausage Meatballs