Comfort Eating: What Does the Bible Say About Overeating?
It’s 9:00 p.m. on a Thursday, and I stare at the cupboard with an insatiable appetite. I want to learn how to stop comfort eating and find my comfort in God, but chocolate feels more tangible at the end of a long day. Perhaps you can relate. Today, we’ll dig into God’s Word as we answer the question, What does the Bible say about overeating?
Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you find freedom from overeating as well as freedom in other areas of your life.
Let’s turn to God’s Word together.
What Does the Bible Say About Overeating?
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well might not appear to have anything to do with overeating, but let’s take a closer look at this story as we consider the cisterns we turn to for fulfillment.
In John 4, we encounter an unnamed woman as she walks to the community well in the heat of the day.
As she approaches the well, her eyes rise to the form of a man at the well. He is a Jewish man, and since Jews don’t associate with Samaritans, he most likely won’t even acknowledge her. She’ll draw her water and be on her way.
“Will you give me a drink?” The Man surprises her with the question, and she studies his face for a moment.
“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” she cautiously responds.
As the scene unfolds, the man offers her living water that will never run dry. In addition, he asks questions about her husband, and when she replies that she has no husband, he all-knowingly asserts that he is aware of this: She has had five husbands, and the man she currently lives with is not her husband.
At the woman’s declaration that a Messiah is coming, Jesus responds, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
The woman is completely undone. She leaves her water jar and returns to town to share this remarkable story with everyone she can find. As a result, many come to encounter Jesus, and they believe. (See John 4:5-42)
Are you turning to the wrong cistern?
While there may seem to be little connection between this woman and those of us who turn to food for comfort, we have more in common than we might first realize: We are turning to the wrong cisterns to fulfill our thirst. These cisterns fail to satisfy in a lasting way.
We are turning to the wrong cisterns to fill our thirst. These cisterns fail to satisfy in a lasting way. #comforteating #satisfactioninGod Share on XAfter encountering the true Source of living water that will satisfy her soul in a lasting way, the woman leaves her jar. She leaves the vessel she’s been using to quench her thirst.
Perhaps this is where we have gone wrong. If we turned from empty vessels and encountered Jesus in fresh ways, his living water would offer us the joy we lack.
Perhaps it is time to leave our old water jars at the well and encounter the living water that satisfies.
What Does the Bible Say About Overeating?
I know what you might be thinking: This is all very nice and spiritual, but I need practical help. I need to know how to stop eating my feelings!
I’ve battled with this behavior for decades and still have room for growth. Meanwhile, God is working in my life. I’ll share three ways I’m learning to turn away from food and turn toward God at the end of today’s post.
First, let’s explore some more Bible verses about caring for our bodies and finding fulfillment in God.
1. 1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
God wants food to nourish our bodies. When food becomes our source of emotional comfort apart from God, we fail to embrace its God-intended purpose.
One way to use food for God’s glory is to remain engaged with God while we eat. We will soon realize that we cannot compulsively eat while actively engaged with God.
Talk to God.
Ask him to guide your decisions regarding food. He will help you turn away from food when you are tempted to use it to fill an emotional void.
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Overeating is not in alignment with God’s plans for us because we fail to honor the temple of our bodies when we eat too much.
We glorify God when we eat moderate amounts of food, not idolizing it by overeating or by excessively depriving ourselves for the purpose of losing weight. God wants us to find balance as we care for our bodies.
3. Proverbs 23:20-21
Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
Overeating is poor stewardship of our time, money, and energy. Food costs money. Eating takes time. Overeating depletes our energy by making us feel lethargic.
We are to be good stewards of all God gives to us. In response, he will bless us. Remember, God does not condemn his children (Romans 8:1). Rather, he wants to heal you and help you experience freedom with food.
4. Proverbs 25:27
It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
Overeating saps us of joy by pulling us away from God and out of alignment with him.
It induces shame.
Keep reading, and we’ll talk about how to find freedom from unhealthy eating patterns.
More Scriptures: What Does the Bible Say About Overeating?
5. Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.
God wants to heal our minds as we align ourselves with his perspective on food.
We’ll look at practical ways to come into alignment with him shortly.
6. Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Part of being crucified with Christ is submitting our bodies to his leadership.
As Christ calls us to follow him, he will pull our focus away from self-indulgence and help us fix our eyes on him.
7. 1 Corinthians 10:31
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
When we feel tempted to overeat, God always provides ways to redirecting our attention.
Having a few life-giving replacement activities ready can help us avoid overeating.
Instead of eating, take a walk, read a book, play a game, or embrace a different hobby.
8. Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
When we seek God’s kingdom first, everything else falls into place.
Ask God to help you seek his will for your life. He will draw your focus to his mission of loving his people. Food will begin to lose its appeal over time.
9. John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Overeating destroys lives. It strips away health and vitality. It elicits regret, shame, and more overindulgence.
Jesus came to give us freedom. Ask him to help you stand against the forces of evil that threaten to pull you into overeating.
10. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
You are holy, set apart for God.
Let’s talk about how to shift from overeating to balanced eating.
Here are three practical ways I’m learning to turn away from food and turn toward God.
1. Ask Jesus to align your heart with his heart.
One of the first steps for breaking free from any habitual sin pattern is asking God to align our hearts with his heart so that we embrace what he embraces and reject what he rejects.
For decades, I didn’t consistently abhor my behavior of abusing food. I was stuck in a cycle of idolizing food and idolizing body image. My motives for trying to eat in healthier ways didn’t align with God’s motives. I didn’t want to overeat because I didn’t want to gain weight. All I cared about was maintaining a thin body.
Meanwhile, God was not worried about the number on the scale; he wanted me to live with a sense of freedom and joy. God wanted to help me find freedom in my relationship with food because he wanted me to be healthy, not because he wanted me in a smaller dress size.
As I began seeking a healthier relationship with food, God began illuminating my motives for wanting to eat in healthier ways. He also began to align my heart with his heart as I aimed to treat my body the way I would treat my children’s bodies.
Instead of telling myself not to eat junk food to stay thin, I started to say, “I want to make healthy food choices and care for my body in the same way I care for my most precious loved ones’ bodies.”
By God’s grace, I slowly stopped criticizing my appearance and started to see myself as God sees me. I started to ask questions such as, Would I shove handfuls of chocolate chips into my children’s mouths to help them escape their realities?
Would you shove junk food into your kids’ mouths to help them cope with stress?
As God renewed my mind over time, eating healthier was no longer about losing weight. It was about treating myself with care and compassion and honoring God in the process.
God showed me his great love and tenderness toward me and aligned my heart with his heart.
I was able to forgive myself when I ate too much sugar. One cookie no longer sent me into the abyss of an all-out binge. God changed my heart in such a way that I wanted to treat my body with love and care instead of criticizing and abusing it.
2. Fast from thinking about yourself.
Notice I didn’t say, “Fast from sugar or chocolate or carbs.”
A deprivation mindset will make it harder to lose weight or step into new patterns of healthy eating. Instead of fasting from certain foods or jumping into the latest diet craze, fast from obsessing over food or body image. In essence, fast from thinking about yourself.
When I’m stuck in a place of eating my feelings, it’s like the throne of my heart is occupied by two entities: thoughts about food and thoughts about my body. I turn to food for comfort and feel guilty about it. I resent what the food will do to my body, and I might even deprive myself for a few days, feeling accomplished when I turn to the scale and see the number drop.
It’s an ugly cycle, and self is at the center. In these times, I’m desperate to take self off the throne of my life and return Jesus to the throne.
When thoughts about comfort eating, depriving, or feeling fat come to your mind, cast down the thoughts. Then, shift your focus. Take a walk outside. Pick up a book. Call a friend. Write a note to an elderly relative and stick it in the mail.
This has been my biggest personal breakthrough in learning how to stop comfort eating. When I refuse to obsess over food, feel guilty about food, or crave food, I am surprisingly less tempted to eat for comfort.
What Does the Bible Say About Overeating?
3. Replace lies with Truth.
In addition to showing me my flawed motives for wanting to eat in healthier ways, God also began to show me the lies I believed about food. The greatest lie told me that food was my ultimate source of comfort.
In response to this realization, I changed my inner dialogue. Instead of telling myself that food was my greatest source of comfort, I started to tell myself, God is my ultimate source of comfort.
I meditated on Bible verses about God’s comfort, such as, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13, NIV).
I repeated this verse hundreds of times in the months after God revealed the lie I was believing. It took time to change the neuropathways in my brain, but I eventually began to believe that God offers greater comfort than food.
God is inviting you to uncover the lies that are feeding your behavior as well. To find these lies, it might help to ask what your flesh is telling you about the behavior. Is your flesh saying something like, This habit is my source of comfort, escape, or release?
Find the lie that is feeding your behavior, and then dig into your Bible and find a truth to speak when the lie tells you to indulge.
Speak the verse day after day. Speak the verse when you fail (because we all fail). Ask God to renew your mind. Here are a few examples of the lies we believe and the truths that help us align our hearts and minds with the Lord:
Truth to Replace the Lies and Help You Stop Comfort Eating
Lie: I indulge because I deserve a reward at the end of the day. Truth: Jesus is my great reward, my comfort, and my portion (see Revelation 22:12, John 14:27, and Psalm 73:26).
Lie: I can’t say no, and I am powerless. Truth: God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, and he will always provide a way out of your temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).
Lie: It’s worth indulging because when I indulge, my worries and cares disappear. Truth: Cast your cares on him, and he will sustain you (see Psalm 55:22).
Lie: It doesn’t hurt anyone, and I like the way it makes me feel. Truth: Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial (see 1 Corinthians 10:23).
Turning to food for comfort is most likely causing damage to your body, mind, emotions, or spirit. Most likely, self-effort has been telling you to get it together and stop being such a failure. When you mess up, self-effort condemns you and tells you you’ll never find freedom. Self-effort tells you to try harder, buckle down, and punish yourself for your failures.
Refuse to give in to shame and condemnation when you fail. Instead, imagine Jesus taking hold of your hand, helping you to your feet, and encouraging you to continue walking forward. He is leading you toward the freedom you long for.
What does the Bible say about overeating? Read here for 10 Truths. #freedom #overeating #faith Share on X
If this post helped you answer the question, “What does the Bible say about overeating?” I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free online devotionals below. Most of all, I pray God will gently take you by the hand and show you that he is not ashamed of you. He understands your struggle, and he wants to lead you into freedom from overeating.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
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A Free Devotional to Help You Find Freedom
Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
