Mackenzie Norman

Over the past few months, I’ve slowly become a gluten-free girl. It’s been a progressive journey, one still in progress, and not relevant enough to this post to expound on the decision in full. The change in my diet has made me realize how simple it is to change what I eat, at least in the United States. It’s also changed what I want to eat. And that shift has been somehow more profound for me.

I grew up in the Deep South. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and some good Georgia sweet tea are still some of my favorite foods- my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I love the flavors and comfort of solid Southern cooking. Those were the first kinds of recipes I learned to make from scratch when I moved overseas because they reminded me of home.

But sadly, those dishes aren’t the healthiest, and some are not the most gluten-friendly either. For a brief moment, I grieved that my new lifestyle meant I wouldn’t taste or eat the foods I loved and craved. And then, several months into my gluten purge, the strangest things began to happen.

I started to dream about salads.

I got emotional at the sight of a gluten-free menu.

I found gluten-free bread desirable (and sometimes preferable!) to regular bread.

What changed?

Sure, maybe the fact that eating gluten meant certain pain was part of it. But I realized it was deeper than that alone. The physical effects were a small part of a larger story. The greater reality was that my appetites had changed. I was hungry for something different.

Such hope exists in that truth! I am not resigned to be a slave to unhealthy wants. I can learn to love what nourishes me. My habits can dictate my appetite. And I don’t have to allow what is normal to become stale, I can delight in what is good, even if it’s not “new”.

While these musings have practical physical applications, my mind immediately turned to the spiritual implications of these truths. Matthew’s account of the life of Christ records His Sermon on the Mount, a startling and beautiful reversal of what everyone expected the Kingdom of God to be like. In it, Jesus says,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

By the grace of God, I can hunger and thirst for righteousness. And He promises that I WILL be satisfied when I do. I can “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Even when eating the Bread of Life feels normal, it doesn’t have to taste stale. My spiritual habits can (and do!) dictate my spiritual appetites. I can learn to love reading the Word because it nourishes me. I am not a slave to my unhealthy or unhelpful desires, to the things that always leave me feeling spiritually empty and hungry.

By the grace of God, I can hunger and thirst for righteousness. And I will be satisfied.

Some Food for Thought:

1. What are you spiritually hungry for?
2. Do you believe that God can change your appetite?
3. Do you need to go “gluten-free” spiritually? Would cutting something out of your diet help you change what you want & help you desire what satisfies?