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Just...One...Bite
Friday, May 16, 2025 by Sarah Schwerin

Cookies. Cakes. Candy. I love them all. Especially chocolate. Or covered in chocolate. Or chocolate covered in chocolate.

People tell me everything in moderation. But that’s the problem. I’m an all-or-nothing person. One bite of cheesecake becomes an entire piece, and if there’s more, why not keep going?

It’s a problem.

I don’t buy sweets (very often). Yet, like those plastic toys from kids’ meals, desserts appear, as if conjured from nothingness. Then they multiply and bring friends. Birthdays, weddings, graduations, holidays, a day ending in y: there’s always a reason for a special treat.

My husband has been doing the grocery shopping, which is wonderful. Unless ice cream is BOGO or candy is on sale. Then I go out into the world and see brightly wrapped packages that cost less than a healthier option. What’s a girl to do?

Don’t eat it?

Don’t eat it.

It’s the logical answer, isn’t it? But again, we all know, it’s not that simple.

I want it. It’s there. I deserve to be happy.

Except what I want doesn’t always make me happy—not in the long run.

Sure, I’ll feel good—for a few minutes. But the sugar high will wear off, and I’ll need another fix soon. Over time, those fleeting tastes make my clothes tighter, my skin break out, and leave me moody and angry.

Sugar is what I want, but it’s not what my body needs.

In the Bible, God gives us a recipe for a healthy life, a plan to lead a life that gives our soul not what it wants, but what it needs. Since childhood, I’ve known God’s rules for living a healthy life, but I haven’t always followed them. I have indulged in bad decisions like they were a package of chocolate chip cookies. Envying. Comparing. Gossiping. One terrible choice after another, until my face burned with embarrassment and my stomach ached.

The Bible can seem like a strict disciplinarian parent ruining our fun. We stamp our feet, pound our fists, and scream, “But I want what I want and I want it now.” Jealousy clouds our vision. Lies sneak in and ruin our complexion. Sexual immorality saunters up and whispers near our ear. We think it won’t hurt. Just one bite. Everything in moderation.

Except God isn’t a god of moderation. He’s an all-or-nothing God. He wants our whole lives. Our whole appetites. All centered on him. In exchange, he will live in our hearts and help us with every bite and decision we make.

God’s guidance isn’t always what we want, but it is what we need. Just like with food choices, making decisions that honor God isn’t always easy. You might not be happy immediately. But when you consume God’s word and follow his teachings, God will transform you. He will fill you with a peace and joy better than any sugar rush you’ve ever had.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:8-9 NLT).

Where are you right now on the all-or-nothing scale? Have you been making unhealthy decisions? What’s one way you can begin making healthy decisions today, either physically or spiritually? Do you have any suggestions on how to continue making healthy decisions when life interferes? Let me know.

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