The Way to a Man's Heart
Sunday, June 16, 2024
For as in the those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Matt. 24:38, 39, RSV.
We have all heard the saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Its truth in a physical sense is readily apparent with even a cursory review of health statistics today. Coronary heart disease reigns as the number one killer. Science has well established the relationship of diet to blocked arteries.
But the saying really isn't talking about a pathway to the physical heart. It's referring to an influence on the emotions—the mind and will. And this doesn't just affect men. How often we use food to alter another's attitude toward us! We employ food and occasions of eating to try to change the mind and make it more susceptible to another's way of thinking. It has been so since the beginning of time.
Think of the many decisions made at tables bedecked with food and drink. Consider the many times we eat, not because we're hungry, but just because we want to. Think of Adam. He wasn't even hungry when he ate with such disastrous results what Eve offered him (see Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, Apr. 4, 1900).
Think of those who were "eating and drinking" and "did not know until the flood came." The text suggests that how we eat and drink can influence our ability to perceive important issues.
Consider the case of Esau. The more he imagined his favorite food, the more he wanted it, until it became more important than his sacred birthright (Gen. 25:29-34).
And think of the many dinners, receptions, and parties designed to sway others.
Are you ever tempted to eat when you aren't hungry? Or to consume food that isn't really good for you? Can it be that the devil himself knows the way to our hearts? Can it be that he realizes the eternal consequences better than we do?
Follow Christ's example. When Satan tried to tempt Him to turn the stones into bread and satisfy His appetite, Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matt. 4:4, NIV).
Lord, help me to resist Satan's strongest temptation by letting Your Word influence my thoughts, not the indulgence of my physical appetite.
We have all heard the saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Its truth in a physical sense is readily apparent with even a cursory review of health statistics today. Coronary heart disease reigns as the number one killer. Science has well established the relationship of diet to blocked arteries.
But the saying really isn't talking about a pathway to the physical heart. It's referring to an influence on the emotions—the mind and will. And this doesn't just affect men. How often we use food to alter another's attitude toward us! We employ food and occasions of eating to try to change the mind and make it more susceptible to another's way of thinking. It has been so since the beginning of time.
Think of the many decisions made at tables bedecked with food and drink. Consider the many times we eat, not because we're hungry, but just because we want to. Think of Adam. He wasn't even hungry when he ate with such disastrous results what Eve offered him (see Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, Apr. 4, 1900).
Think of those who were "eating and drinking" and "did not know until the flood came." The text suggests that how we eat and drink can influence our ability to perceive important issues.
Consider the case of Esau. The more he imagined his favorite food, the more he wanted it, until it became more important than his sacred birthright (Gen. 25:29-34).
And think of the many dinners, receptions, and parties designed to sway others.
Are you ever tempted to eat when you aren't hungry? Or to consume food that isn't really good for you? Can it be that the devil himself knows the way to our hearts? Can it be that he realizes the eternal consequences better than we do?
Follow Christ's example. When Satan tried to tempt Him to turn the stones into bread and satisfy His appetite, Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matt. 4:4, NIV).
Lord, help me to resist Satan's strongest temptation by letting Your Word influence my thoughts, not the indulgence of my physical appetite.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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