A Good Diet

Most people agree that one of the biggest problems with American health is our diet!  A long time ago the issue for humans was finding enough food. In 2022 for most of us it is choosing the right food. A couple of years ago, I had reached a life-time high in my weight and decided that it was time to lose about 20 pounds.  I found an online diet plan that did not just focus on calories. The designers of the plan invested much in changing the way I thought about the food I ate! 

The program taught me to recognize eating patterns, empty calories, times when I turned to food even though I was not hungry. I also learned to think about the quality of the food I put in my mouth, realizing that 400 calories is not always the same when it comes to actually satisfying my appetite. I control my weight not primarily by denial but by the choice to eat differently and for better health.

The principle holds for our spirituality, too. Many Christians are weak, full of doubts and fears, inconsistent in faith in large part because of what they feed their mind and heart or what they fail to consume. 

We will never enjoy a vibrant faith if we live on a steady diet of cultural ‘junk food.’  What plays in the background in your home will most certainly enter your brain and change your thoughts. We all have found ourselves unconsciously repeating a line from a song we heard on our streaming device or in our earbuds, and realized that we are actually saying something completely at odds with our values. Video streams at us from multiple sources these days. On average in 2020, U.S. adults spent over 3.5 hours per day watching television and 1.75 hours per day watching digital video on devices.  I fairly certain most of that viewing is not encouraging the best in human behavior.

I am not suggesting that the only thing we can read, listen to, or watch are “Christian” books, The Message on SiriusXM, or the Hallmark channel. However, we must be discerning and choose our brain food well. A steady diet of materialism, sex, violence, and content that ignores the reality of God will change our thoughts in a negative way.

This is a spiritual principle that is universal:
Right thinking always precedes right living.

 Jesus alludes to that fact.  He says “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6: 43, 45-46, NIV) We will think clearly, with a view of life that is godly and true only if we choose the right brain food. And, if we are deceived in our thinking, we will not live in a way that leads to an abundant, Spiritually fruitful life.

Change takes time.  If pizza, potato chips, hotdogs, fries, and cheeseburgers are a person’s steady diet for 25 years, there will be a discernible effect on their physical health. Turning things around will require re-training their taste to appreciate healthier fare, so they will continue to consume a diet that is balanced and full of healthful foods. One week on a good diet won’t change a thing!  A real understanding of the quality of food, the way we consume our food, will lead us to control our weight, lower our cholesterol levels, and find ourselves with fewer collateral health issues. 

Likewise, in our spiritual lives, a burst of concern lasting only a few days or weeks, will not produce the desired effect! A holy life, filled with the fruit of the Spirit, will only emerge as we continue to strengthen our heart and mind with the Truth over time. Consistent intake of Scripture, regular meditation, daily prayer, giving ourselves in service, learning generosity of heart, and such disciplines of the Spirit will lead us to a vibrant faith walk.

Here’s a word from the Word that points the way to peace (that is, soundness and wholeness) with God. "Finally, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9, NKJV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Is He Worthy

(A wonderful song of hope by Andrew Peterson)

Do you feel the world is broken
We do
Do you feel the shadows deepen
We do
But do you know that all the dark
Won't stop the light from getting through
We do
Do you wish that you could see it all made new
We do

Is all creation groaning
It is
Is a new creation coming
It is
Is the glory of the Lord
To be the light within our midst
It is
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this
It is

Is anyone worthy
Is anyone whole
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's Root
And the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy
Is He worthy
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this
He is

Does the Father truly love us
He does
Does the Spirit move among us
He does
And does Jesus our Messiah
Hold forever those He loves
He does
Does our God intend to dwell again with us
He does

 

Is anyone worthy
Is anyone whole
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's Root
And the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From ev'ry people and tribe every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests
To God to reign with the Son
Is He worthy
Is He worthy
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy
Is He worthy
Is He worthy of this
He is

 

Is He worthy
Is He worthy
He is
He is

 

Andrew Peterson | Ben Shive

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