It’s easy to get caught up in the latest health trends, wellness routines, and food rules. But what does God actually care about? Romans 14:17 cuts straight to the heart of that question, and the answer might surprise you.
The church in Rome was divided, and food was at the center of it. In the ancient world, much of the meat available for purchase came directly from pagan temples. Temples would sacrifice an animal, use a small portion in their rituals, and sell the rest, often at a discount.
Some believers had no problem with it. Meat is meat, they reasoned. Why pay more?
But others couldn’t stomach it. New converts who had just walked away from idol worship saw that meat and saw everything they had left behind. Jewish believers raised on God’s dietary laws saw it as unclean. To them, it wasn’t a bargain. It was an abomination.
Paul addresses the same tension in his letter to the Corinthians, urging believers not to use their freedom in a way that causes a younger believer to stumble. But in Romans 14, he goes even deeper.
Paul’s message is direct:
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 14:17 English Standard Version (ESV)
In other words, you’re arguing about the wrong thing. The kingdom of God is not about what’s on your plate.
This is a trap many Christians fall into, getting distracted by secondary things while missing what actually matters. Paul is trying to redirect our focus.
The short answer is no. A specific diet doesn’t elevate your spirituality. Eating the wrong foods doesn’t make you less worthy before God.
That doesn’t mean food is irrelevant. Taking care of your body matters. Enjoying a good meal is a gift. God gave us taste buds for a reason.
But food has a purpose, and that purpose is to serve us. It provides nourishment and energy to do the work God has called us to do.
When food stops serving us and starts ruling us, whether through indulgence, obsession, or turning our diet into a measure of our holiness, it has moved out of its proper place.
This isn’t just about food. Fitness supplements, sleep optimization, the latest wellness trends. These things can quietly become a kind of religion, complete with rules, a priesthood of experts, and a promise of salvation. Just with a longer life instead of eternal life.
When any of these things begin to compete for the peace and joy that belong to Christ, it’s worth asking whether they’ve taken a place they were never meant to hold.
Paul gives us three clear words in Romans 14:17:
Here’s a straightforward way to evaluate what’s taking up too much space in your life: if something is stealing your joy, it’s time to put it back in its proper place under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
That applies to food, fitness, finances, relationships, or anything else that has quietly moved to the center of your attention.
Here’s the good news at the heart of all of this. You are right with God. Not because of what you ate today or what you avoided. You are right with God because of what Jesus did on the cross and because of the new covenant He established in the upper room around a table with bread and a cup.
The meal that matters most is the one where He gave Himself for us.
So enjoy your lunch. Drink your water. Take care of yourself. Just don’t let any of it take the place that belongs to Jesus.
This week, take an honest look at what might be quietly competing for the peace and joy that belong to Christ in your life. It doesn’t have to be food. It could be a wellness routine, a habit, a worry, or even a good thing that has slowly moved to the center of your attention.
Choose one thing to consciously place back under the lordship of Jesus. That might mean loosening your grip on a rule you’ve been following, releasing anxiety about getting something “perfect,” or simply reminding yourself each morning that your standing before God rests on what Christ did, not on what you do.
Ask yourself these questions as you reflect:
