Friday Phrase: Eyes Bigger Than Your Stomach

My son was quick to point out to me today, “You know—it’s physically impossible for someone’s eyes to be bigger than their stomach.” I laughed, of course, and reminded him that it’s just an expression—one that has, purportedly, been used in the English language for about the past 200 years.

As a kid when I would take or ask for more food than it was likely I could eat, my mom would often say, “I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” she’d say.

Having eyes bigger than our stomachs for the wrong things can, of course lead to obesity. It is interesting to note that research findings indicate that added sweeteners could be one of the main contributors to the obesity epidemic. Helen Albert writes in a News Medical research article, “Our bodies are made to eat food and store energy, and in prehistoric days, it behooved us to eat a lot of high-calorie foods because we didn't know when the next meal was coming. But now we have much more access to food, and this research indicates added sweeteners might be affecting our desire for it.” Something to consider when it seems as though your eyes might be bigger than your stomach.  

Another consideration is asking for the Holy Spirit’s help if big-eyed eating happens to be a habit or struggle for you, as it always has been for me. I Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Sometimes it seems easier said than done, but resisting a second helping of spaghetti, skipping dessert, and having dinner minus bread really is possible.

What if when our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, we used them instead to look for that “way out”?

We will sometimes indulge, of course, but this phrase begs the question—Are our eyes irreparably bigger than our stomachs? I believe that with determination, perseverance and prayer, there is a solution to this common “vision” problem.