My twins sat in high chairs at their one-year-old birthday party. After a round of “Happy Birthday,” we set slices of cake on their trays. My son cautiously picked his up piece-by-piece, but for every calculated bite he took, his sister inhaled three more with wild abandon. Chocolate crumbs covered her shirt as she inadvertently smothered frosting through her hair. Her face beamed with sheer joy and delight.

I can relate (maybe without the smeared frosting). God in his goodness provides the gift of food for us to enjoy, and like my daughter I sure enjoy it! But it’s not just about indulging in chocolate cake. When we rightly delight in the gift of food, our hearts turn towards something—and Someone—greater than the object of our enjoyment. Our delight is in the gift and the Giver.

God’s Good Creation

In Genesis, we see that God gave creation to people, and he didn’t merely create the bare necessities for survival. Genesis 1:29 says that God gave an abundance of plants and trees for food. He set man in Eden, meaning “pleasure or delight.” He gave trees that are “pleasant to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). God generously designed a world made for human flourishing, not just subsistence. And it was good.

Then the serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She gave in, as did Adam. Our first parents’ attempt to obtain life and wisdom apart from their Maker marred the good, God-given gifts. Sin now affected all of creation. But God is gracious. Jesus, the true and better Adam (Romans 5:14) came to bring order despite the chaos, heal what was broken, and set up a new kingdom that will never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44).

Delighting in the Gift of Food

This truth changes the way we live. It changes the way we eat. Now we hold in our hands both the goodness of the original creation and the hope of new creation. We live with joy and longing, delight and faith in the midst of a broken and hurting world. How, then, can we rightly delight in food this side of eternity? With Genesis 1-3 in mind, I want to offer three ways: stewardship, creativity, and rest.

1. Stewardship 

Being made in the image of God comes with the joyful responsibility of caring for creation as God himself cares for it. Adam and Eve could enjoy all the trees and plants given for food (2:9) and embrace pleasure and delight living in Eden. As they did, God commanded them to steward and oversee their environment, not exploit it.

As Christians, we have to think about what it means to steward creation, including our food resources. We have to think about the people behind what we eat, the way food is sourced, the ground from which it comes. We must consider problems of over-consumption and food waste, especially in the face of unfair food distribution around the world.

Caring for creation doesn’t mean we’re worshipping it rather than the Creator. Rather, we display the image of God by caring for creation the way he cares for it. Being careless, indifferent, or reckless does not bring him glory. When we love and use creation rightly, we honor him and experience delight. We recognize the beauty, creativity, and abundance of God’s earth and delight not just in the gift of food but also in the Giver himself.

2. Creativity

Psalm 104:14-15 says. “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” Wine. Oil. Bread. All of these require some sort of process to create. God doesn’t grow wine, oil, or bread straight from the ground, but he provides the building blocks for humans to image him through creativity.

It’s a wonder God gave us variety, and many ways to enjoy that variety. We have blackberries and dragon fruit, cinnamon and saffron. We’re able to not just taste food with our mouths, but see beauty on our plates. We can smell ripe peaches and hear the crunch of apples. Creativity births delight, and we draw attention to his goodness, his creativity, his beauty, and we remind others and ourselves there is greater beauty yet to come.

3. Rest

After creating the universe, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). He set up a work-rest pattern that wasn’t only about ceasing to work but about him taking up residence in the sacred space he created. He lived amidst his good creation! Similarly, we work hard in our lives to bring order and fruitfulness, but in his kindness God allows us to rest and delight in the world we inhabit.

The table provides a place to regularly take a load off our feet, exhale, and find nourishment. Eating quiets our minds as we fill our bodies and reminds us that we are finite, and God himself is the source of life and strength. Eating doesn’t interrupt; it refuels. It’s a gift, not an inconvenience.

Gathering with others for a meal provides one of the best ways to regularly spend time face-to-face and enjoy conversation and connection. What other activity regularly facilitates community as well as eating together? It feels almost impossible at times to get all the tiny humans in my house to stop moving long enough to eat together. Yet when we cultivate hearts characterized by rest instead of anxiousness and faith rather than perfectionism, we can come to the table with busy hands but hearts at peace. Then the table becomes a place where we can pause, refresh, refuel, and delight in God’s both provision and his people.

How good is our God that he gives us not just what we need, but gifts we can savor and enjoy! We celebrate the goodness of the original creation and look forward to the new creation as we delight in food. And when we delight in the gift of food, we taste that the Giver himself is good.

The Header Image is provided courtesy of Sarah J. Hauser from her blog post “Sweet + Savory No-Cook Brunch Boards.” You can find the recipe for this board here.

When we rightly delight in the gift of food, our hearts turn towards something—and Someone—greater than the object of our enjoyment. Our delight is in the gift and the Giver. Click To Tweet