From Food Idolatry to Fullness in Christ

Dannah Gresh: Today, Asheritah Ciuciu helps you get super practical in the battle against food fixation. 

Asheritah Ciuciu: Imagine how your eating habits would change if you didn't just pray a perfunctory blessing over your dinner, but if you were aware of God's presence with you throughout your whole meal, if you paused when you'd had enough, and if you turned to Him in worship and said, “Blessed be Your name.”

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of Surrender: The Heart God Controls, for May 12, 2026. I’m Dannah Gresh.

How would you describe your relationship to food? Is it . . . well . . . complicated? 

We are back with my friend, Asheritah Ciuciu. Yesterday, she introduced us to the topic of food fixation. Because of sin, the good gift of food can become an obsession that enslaves us. If you’re experiencing this form of bondage today, the Lord wants to set you free. Asheritah is gonna give you some really practical things you can do—starting now—to step toward that freedom. 

Her book is called Full: Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction. It’s not a diet book or a healthy eating plan. And what Asheritah shared in this message isn’t, either. Instead, she’s trying to drill down to the thinking and heart desires that can lead to a fixation on food. 

Let’s listen to part two of our series, "Food Is Not the Enemy," this is from her message at a recent True Woman conference. 

Asheritah: What I’d love us to do is to get super practical right now. What does it look like to know the truth and walk in the truth so that Jesus might set us free?

A turning point for me came as I read 2 Cor. 10:5. Paul is talking about spiritual warfare, and he says this. Listen carefully.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Chris. (NIV) 

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” You see, the battle begins in our minds.

Paul explains that we knock down any thought pattern that exalts itself above the truth of God, because lies and half truths have no place in the mind of a child of God. The only way that we will learn to recognize lies from truth is by studying the truth.

When you know the truth and walk in the truth, the truth will set you free.

We have a choice. We all deal with triggers in our lives. One trigger for me is walking into my mom’s kitchen. I’m thirty-four years old, and I still feel like I’m five, because I start opening the cupboards, and I look in the fridge. “Okay, Mom, what did you make?” My mom is a fantastic cook.

When I walk into my mom’s kitchen, I give myself, mentally, permission to just eat whatever I want, because it brings back memories from my childhood.

For you, your trigger might be the end of a long stressful day, and you find yourself mindlessly looking through the cupboards or grabbing the ice cream from the freezer.

The trigger might be that you hit that 3 p.m. slump and you’re bored at work, and you just need a little bit of excitement in your life, and that Snickers bar is going to do it.

The trigger might be that you finally put the kids to bed, and it has been a long day, and they fought non-stop, and you just want to reward yourself for making it through the day, and they’re all still alive.

Your trigger might be that you had a hard week, a hard month, a hard life, and every time that you remember that one hurt from your past, it drives you to the pantry for comfort.

Remember, food is not the enemy. Food is a good gift from a good Father, meant to turn our hearts to Him in worship. But when we run to food for comfort and satisfaction, when we turn to food to resolve the emotional trauma that’s happening, when we try to stuff the void in our hearts with food, it is no longer a good gift; it has become an idol.

That’s a hard word, but I’ve seen it in my own life. When I am more likely to take my problems to the pantry than I am to hit my knees in prayer, it means food has become an idol. And that idol needs to be dethroned, and those lies need to be taken captive and made obedient to Jesus Christ.

Picture this with me: we have two options to choose from. When there’s a trigger in our lives, (and I want you to picture what is your trigger), what is that one thing that makes you feel like the next step is you’re out of control with food?

That trigger, we can then believe lies that drive us to food, that will give us temporary satisfaction. I mean, it’s no lie, Oreos create a dopamine loop in your brain. In fact, some scientists have compared it to the euphoric feeling of doing drugs. Oreos can make you feel happy for all of three minutes.

And then the guilt settles in, and the shame settles in, and you start a vicious cycle where you go back to food to resolve those feelings of guilt and shame and condemnation. Then you feel good for a little bit, and then you crash again, and then you go back to food. And that is how an addiction is formed.

Food is not the enemy, but when it becomes our idol, it will ensnare us in addiction.

But that is not our destiny. We have a choice. When we face that same trigger, we can, instead, believe in God’s promises.

Instead of believing lies that take us to food, we can believe God’s promises that take us into God’s own presence. We can bring that emotional hurt, we can bring the stress, we can bring the boredom, we can bring whatever it is that would have driven us to food, we bring it to Jesus, and He alone can actually resolve that thing in our hearts.

He alone can bring satisfaction to our souls. He alone can bring the peace that we crave. He alone can give us wisdom. He alone can truly satisfy.

When you experience that in His presence, it starts to create a new pathway in your brain, so that the next time you face that trigger, you then have that choice again. Am I going to believe the lie that leads me to food, that leads to that addiction, or am I once again going to believe in God’s promises and in His truth that leads me into God’s presence that forms and shapes me into the image of Jesus Christ?

It is in this process that the Spirit works His fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience (not found in a bag of Doritos), kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Those are all worked out here.

Self-control. Did you know that’s the fruit of the Spirit? You can’t try harder to be more self-controlled. I have tried. It doesn’t work. But when we do what Paul said, we demolish strongholds, when we take captive every thought, when we are here in this trigger moment, and we start going this direction, and we pause, and we take that thought, and we hold it up to the light of Scripture, and we say, “Is this really true?” . . .

You can pause before you get to the food. “Is this really true?” And if it’s not, you backtrack your way over here, because when you know the truth, and you walk in the truth, the truth will set you free, because Jesus is the truth, and He alone brings freedom.

Let’s look at some of these lies in the time that we have left. I’m going to go with the most popular ones.

The first thought that we have is, I deserve a treat. I’ve had a hard day. I can’t believe everything that I had to put up with today. I really need that treat. I mean, after all that happened, I might actually deserve two!”

So here we are, we’re in the trigger, and we have this thought. Let’s hold it up to Scripture. Is it true? Is it true that you deserve a treat?

It might be true that you had a hard day. It might be true that you put up with a lot. It might be true that as you leaned into God all day long, His Spirit sustained you so that you didn’t yell at your kids, and you didn’t snap at your husband. It’s possible that you held it all in, but is it true that the treat is what you deserve? That that is what’s going to bring you comfort and satisfaction and rest and joy?

When we look at what God’s Word says, again remember, food is not the enemy. That brownie is not the enemy, but it will also not resolve the emotional issue going on in your heart.

Psalm 90:14 says, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” 

That is the truth, that God alone can satisfy. So you had a hard day? Take it to Jesus, because He will satisfy you, and He will fill you with joy.

Scripture also says in Matthew 4:4, Jesus says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Food alone won’t really bring you that comfort and satisfaction, but the bread of life will, because God’s Word never returns to Him void. It will accomplish the work that it goes out to do.

I deserve a treat? It might provide temporary satisfaction, but it won’t give you what your soul really hungers for. Only God can give you that.

How do we walk this out, because we know truth when we walk in the truth.

There needs to be a walking out. If you’ve had this trigger, and then you had this thought, and you hold it up to Scripture, you recognize, That’s not really true. I know the truth. How am I going to walk it out? Because when you know the truth and walk in the truth, the truth will set you free.

Some practical ideas: write scripts for yourself. I do this. I’ll write it on Post-It notes. I have Post-It notes in my pantry, I have Post-It notes on my fridge, I have Post-It notes in the freezer in the laundry room where we keep the ice cream. Write truth to yourself.

You might write, “This treat doesn’t bring lasting happiness. What I really want, more than a treat, is peace, freedom, joy, and that’s found only in Jesus. So get yourself to Jesus, girl!

Or maybe you look for other ways to celebrate milestones. Maybe you did have a hard day and you did accomplish a lot. Maybe there are other ways to celebrate that do not lead to that vicious cycle that leads to addiction.

Maybe you take a few moments to journal and praise Jesus for the work that He’s done, or maybe you journal out those hard things that you’re dealing with. Listen, I know that journaling is more work than grabbing that snack—I know! But it’s only when we walk out the truth that Jesus will set us free.

Yes, our God does miracles, but He chooses to involve us in the victory. So when you face that trigger, decide ahead of time, what verse will you use from Scripture? What promise of God will you cling to, and how will you walk that out?

How about lie number two? I feel kind of full, but there are only a few bites left. I can’t let it go to waste. That’s bad stewardship. I’m just going to clean up the plate so that it doesn’t get thrown into the trash.

Okay, how many of you are willing to admit that we are passing this on to the next generation? That special section of the stomach reserved for dessert, that’s not the only gimmick that we’re passing on, and yet we know the truth. We can also walk with our children in the truth. We can learn new patterns with our children. But God has to do that work in us first.

So here’s the trigger. You’re at dinner. You feel kind of full. You have a few bites left. What are you going to do? Here’s that thought that comes, “I can’t let it go to waste.”

Paul would say we demolish strongholds by taking captive every thought and making it submissive to Jesus Christ. So is it true, “I can’t let this food go to waste”?

Well, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 says,

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Your body is not a trash can. Your body, your soul, your mind, all of you was bought with a precious price, more precious than that food that might go to waste. When you have that trigger at dinner that you’ve had enough . . . Tonight, when you go to dinner, when you have had enough, pause, and hold that thought up to truth.

I’ve had enough. My body’s not a trash can. Practically walk it out. Maybe you pack it for later. Maybe you can’t do that here, but we’ve started boxing up leftovers at lunch and dinner at home.

I have one child who, I don’t understand it, but God made her a grazer, so she just eats a little bit all day long. I’ve tried to force her to finish her food. I’ve tried to tell her, “You didn’t finish your lunch, I guess you’re going to be hungry until dinner.”

She’ll just go hungry. She’s my child who’s underweight. Until I realize that God created us differently. Her metabolism is different, so when she’s done with her lunch, instead of forcing her to clean her plate, we’re going to grab a Tupperware, we’re going to pack that lunch, and when she gets hungry around 3 p.m. again, there’s your Tupperware.

I kind of wish I’d learned this twenty-five years ago for myself. If I’m in that place where I’m really enjoying dinner, first of all, pause and praise God. “God, You are the creative one. You’re the One who created vegetables and fruits and all the delicious things. You’re the One who gives chefs creativity to combine these ingredients in incredible ways. You’re the One who created our tastebuds. It was Your idea. You could have made us solar-powered.”

He could have! And yet He chose to give us the gift of good food. So when you’ve enjoyed your dinner, receive it with thankfulness. Allow it to drive you to your Father, and say, “God, You are so good. You have provided yet another meal. I’ve had enough. Thank you, Jesus.”

Jesus talks about this, actually quite poignantly in Matthew 6. He says,

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (vv. 25–26)

I think this lie of I’ve had enough, but I don’t want it to go to waste, I think underneath that is, I don’t know if I’m going to have enough next time. It’s that scarcity mindset of, If I don’t eat it now, I don’t know when I’ll have it again. But our God is a God of abundance and generosity. God has provided for your needs for this meal, and are you not more valuable than birds? Will He not provide for your next meal?

You’re at dinner, you’re full—there’s your trigger. You have the thought: I’m going to keep eating. I don’t want it to go to waste. But you pause, and you hold it up to Scripture, and you say, No, my God is a good Father, and He provides abundantly for my needs, and my body is valuable to Him, and it’s not a trash can. So I’m going to take it on God’s promises. God, I believe that You will provide for my next meal. God, I believe that You are a generous Father and that You give good gifts to Your children. God, I’m just going to worship You right now instead of eating a few more bites. I’m just going to take thirty seconds and reflect on how good You are.

And that dinner becomes a little worship service.

You know that Jews, in their culture, don’t necessarily bless the food before they eat. They thank God for the food after they’ve eaten.

Imagine how your eating habits would change if you didn’t just pray a perfunctory blessing over your dinner, but if you were aware of God’s presence with you throughout your whole meal. If you paused when you’d had enough, and if you turned to Him in worship and said, “Blessed be Your name. You’ve provided yet another meal, and You will provide again.”

Do you see how when you know the truth and you walk in the truth, Jesus will set you free? He will change your thought patterns. He will change your action patterns. He will change your habits.

Paul would look at those who follow Jesus and say, “You no longer follow the patterns of this world. You were once in darkness. You once walked that way, but no more, because you belong to Jesus, and you have” (catch this) “the mind of Christ.”

That is a promise. When you know the truth and you walk in the truth, we start to think God’s thoughts after Him. We start to walk in the freedom that only He can provide.

I had one more, and we’re running out of time, so I’ll just give it to you quickly here. That is, Just this once won’t hurt. Come on, it’s a special occasion; I’ve been doing so good. Just this once. I promise I’ll do better tomorrow.

That thought, hold it up to Scripture, and say, “Is it true?”

You can take whatever trigger is in your life, recognize, “what is that thought?” It might not necessarily be a sin.

Just this once might not be a lie. It might be true. Maybe you have certain healthy eating boundaries or patterns that you’ve established with your doctor or nutritionist, but you’ve planned ahead for your anniversary dinner, you’re going to share a piece of chocolate cake with your husband. It’s not an emotional decision. It’s not a craving. It’s something that you’ve planned ahead to celebrate and recognize. You know, just this once won’t hurt.

That’s what’s hard about these thoughts—that we need to hold them up to the light of Scripture, and we need to allow God’s Spirit to search us and know our hearts and recognize our patterns. Because when we know the truth and we walk in the truth, the truth will set us free.

I want to leave you with one more passage that God has used in my life this past year. It comes from Titus 2:11–14. I don’t know how it’s possible that you can read the Bible your whole life and then stumble on a passage, and be like, “Was this here last time? I’m pretty sure I’ve never read that one before!” This is Titus 2:11–14. Just listen to this.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who loved us and who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Did you catch that? It is the grace of God that teaches us to say “No.” Not scarcity. Not doubt. Not fear. Not hurt. Not lies. It is the grace of God that has appeared to us. And He teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness so that we might live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, waiting for His glorious appearance.

And on that day, we will say, “I knew the truth. I walked in the truth. And Jesus, You have finally set me free!” We will see Him face to face, the One who has died to buy our freedom, and we will spend the rest of our lives worshiping Him.

We will look back on our life. This whole life of self-control, as long as it might last (I read this somewhere) is but the dawn of the first day of our wedding day. For all eternity, Christ will make it worth it.

Dannah: Asheritah will be right back to pray for you. I have loved our time with her this week. I want you to hear me say this, too: freedom in Christ is possible—whether we’re talking food fixation, phone addiction, pornography, insecurity, or some other form of bondage. I hope Asheritah’s refrain has begun to usher you toward that freedom: when you know the truth and walk in the truth, the truth will set you free.

That’s such a core part of our DNA here at Revive Our Hearts. We want women all over the world to experience the freedom in Christ they were created for. And when we say all over the world, that’s not just wishful thinking. It’s something we’re actively, prayerfully pressing toward. 

At ReviveOurHearts.com/global you can explore all of our worldwide outreaches. God has been opening new doors for us in war-torn countries, including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Iran. Nancy joined a Zoom call recently to encourage female leaders connected to the Far East Broadcasting Network. They asked questions like, “In times of war, how do we discern the difference between righteous anger and sinful hatred?” “How can we lament biblically without losing our faith?” and “How do we answer nonbelievers when they ask how our God could allow so much suffering?” 

Heavy, right? These are the spiritual topics women are navigating on the other side of the globe. With your help, Revive Our Hearts can meet more of them with the message of freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ. Would you prayerfully consider how God might be asking you to partner with us?

We’re facing a financial shortfall in this season. We have reserves we can dip into, but our desire is to use those funds to translate resources into more languages. In order to continue pressing forward, we’re asking God to provide $1.4 million in the month of May. It’s a big number, but we have a big God. He’s already opening the doors. Your gift would enable us to step through them.

When you make a donation of any amount this month, we’ll send you our newest resource titled, Called to Thrive. This booklet from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is your invitation to really experience the freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ we talk so much about. 

To give and request your copy, visit ReviveOurHearts.com, or call us at 1-800-569-5959. And a reminder to our listeners outside the United States and Canada, we can’t send you a physical copy, but we’ve got a digital download available for you. You can get that at ReviveOurHearts.com as well. 

Tomorrow, we’re talking about freedom from another angle. Nancy will remind you, you’re free to be real, to take off the mask, to be vulnerable before God and others. It’s a message we desperately need in our perfectly curated social media world. Please be back for Revive Our Hearts.

This program is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

All Scripture taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted. 

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