Eating for Wrong Reasons

Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant
and whose princes feast in the morning.
Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time —
for strength and not for drunkenness. Ecclesiastes 19:6-17

“Eat at a proper time. For strength.”
I’ve often eaten for weakness —
stuffing my face —
to bury pain, anger, humiliation.
I’ve eaten for strength, under God’s strength,
ignoring the compulsion to eat
but nourishing my body.
Like an alcoholic, I yield to my compulsion
unless God sets it aside
by mending the feelings,
by giving me joy beyond what compulsion
could ever yield.

God, move us beyond patches to real cures,
to comfort that really comforts.
Thank you for this gift.