BIBLICAL BRIEFS 121
There is nothing that Christians MUST do as part of their faith duty. The entire new covenant is founded on freedom of choice – the sons of God are free in all things (Matt. 17:26). However, we are often spiritually driven by habits, tradition, and religion. The Bible makes it clear that we must repent of “dead works” (Heb. 6:1) if we in any way think that we please God through our religious acts. In fact, the contrary is true: “Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing.” (Mark 7:13, AMP). We tend to do many things because it is a habit, without it being inspired by our relationship with God. If your prayer at the table is just a little rhyme to quiet down your conscience, then please rather stop doing it. Whenever prayer is only a ritual to make people aware of your beliefs (e.g. at business events or formal occasions), it is definitely not pleasing God. If it is only a quote of many words, with many calibrated expressions, it is not a prayer unto God, but an exhibition of your religion, with which God does not want anything to do with at all. There are a number of references to thanksgiving for food in the old covenant (1Sam. 9:13) as well as in the new covenant (Matt. 15:36; Acts 27:35). The underlying principle is simple: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.” (1Tim. 4:4-5). To me Rom. 14:6 is a guideline: “The one who eats, eats in honour of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honour of the Lord and gives thanks to God.” In his book: Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating, Norman Wirzba writes: “When we say grace, we do not merely say a few words over our food. Rather, we are transformed so that our eating of life is also a sympathetic participation in the ways of life. Thanksgiving becomes the means through which we elevate and hold before each other the sanctity and grace of the world.” With this attitude, saying grace is an act of transformation, and therefore I can easily and boldly pray with a thankful heart before I eat, because 1Cor. 10:31 speaks of my life: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Such an attitude of heart before a meal commences, speaks of an awareness and recognition of the fact that Jesus Himself had asked you: “Can I eat with you today?” (Rev. 3:20).
Dr Tom Gouws
