A Healthy Diet
My hubby and I have decided to be more intentional about eating healthy. No more take out. Say goodbye to pulled pork with baked beans. We will turn away from the gallons of cookies and cream and reject the Hershey bars. French fries will be a thing of the past. At the grocery store, my feet followed a firm path toward the produce section where I purchased a cart full of fresh fruit and veggies. Hurray to spinach and blueberries!
My energy level revs up when I make healthy food choices. My step is lighter, and my achy old body seems to gain a new lease on life. The old saying “Garbage in; Garbage out” comes to mind — junky food produces a “junky me.”
Spiritually, the same principle holds true. What am I feeding my soul and spirit? Am I making choices that fill me up with healthy food? The Apostle Peter addressed the need to make healthy choices in his epistle to the churches:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,
by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Peter 1:3-8, ESV
A healthy spiritual diet increases my effectiveness and helps me to be more fruitilicious. So, this week, I will cut back on the TV watching and spend less time surfing on the internet. I will say goodbye to fleshy “junk food” and fill up on God’s Word, uplifting worship music, and spiritual sustenance.
Q4U: How do you foster a healthy spiritual diet?
Joining like-minded sisters today at Three-Word Wednesday, Faith-Filled Friday, Tell His Story, Playdates with God, Hear it on Sunday: Use it on Monday, and Soli Deo Gloria.
Yum! It’s so hard to eat healthy when everything sugary and fatty around us looks so tempting. I’m cheering you on!!!
Thanks, Sarah!
I do think it makes a difference what we eat spiritually, too. Thanks for the reminder to watch that diet closely as well!
I am learning! 🙂
I’ve really been working on starting my day with God, praying is the last thing I do before I go to bed and I wake up with praise and prayer and “hopefully” a good half hour in the Word before the kids get up. It really sets the tone for my day. Also I just heard about setting a timer/alarm for 9am noon and 3pm to say a quick prayer or longer if time allows. I need to rember Luke 5:16 but Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer…just take a moment and go pray, I must remember this. Thanks for a great post!!
April, I love how intentional you are being about spending time with Him. The alarm is a great idea. I have been trying to revisit my morning reading on my lunch hour — as I am not much of morning person, and it sinks in better if I look at it again when I am more awake. 🙂
Great post! I gave up tv two years ago and don’t miss it a bit. Now for the cookies and ice cream, well. . .I haven’t found out if I would miss them or not;)
Thank you so much for the prayer tonight…it means a lot!
Kristin
You’re welcome, Kristin. I believe God has a special spot in His heart for a mom’s prayer for her child. There is power in our prayers!
I’ve been feeling that nudge myself. Guess I’d better pay attention to it! 🙂
I would rather eat chocolate and be a vegetable in front of the television set, but I am trying to get my act together. 🙂
Thank you! Just right xo
You are such an encourager! Hugs 🙂
I said good-bye to French Fries once, for 3 years – and then I tasted one again – and I just haven’t been able to stop. However, the family is going on a Biggest Loser Diet – so I will have to say good-bye to those fries, and make betters choices. That the family is doing that together – well – we call need encouragement to put good stuff inside each other:) You’ve got me thinking, pushing me away from those fries – you are good! very good! Have a blessed week!
I am that way with coke. I fast from it, but when I return, I always think “this is so good!” Now, I am trying to be more moderate in my diet. And, God is knocking on my heart that this principle applies with my heart and mind as well — I need to make wiser choices about my spiritual diet.
Yum! Your photos make me crave some really fresh pineapple, which we don’t often get around here. Your wise choices look positively delicious!
I will not be taking my pineapple for granted thanks to your comment! Asking Abba to help me crave what’s healthy — both in my tummy and in my heart. Thanks for stopping by!
Well I’m trying to replace TV with books these days, and that’s going pretty well. (Though I could not resist the finale of Downton Abbey….)
I’m reminded of Jesus’ words that his food is to do God’s work. So maybe it’s not just what I’m reading/watching/listening to, but how I’m actively engaged with the world. And now that I think about it, I feel most “full” when I’m actively involved in the world–loving refugees and children and people who are lonely.
I love what you shared here, Beth. Thanks for making me think!
My youngest and I have resolved to do something similar during Lent, Lyli. It’s amazing how what goes in affects the way I feel. Love this spiritual metaphor too 🙂
Thanks, Laura. Praying that both you and your daughter experience Him more fully during this season as we approach Resurrection Sunday.
There’s those 2 Peter verses again! God has been chasing me around with those lately. I wonder what He is wanting me to do with them? Apparently, He has something in mind!Thanks for stopping by post earlier, enjoyed your visit.
Don’t you love it when God repeats Himself to you? 🙂
Oh how funny. As I was reading I already new what I was gonna share in the comments on what I’ve eliminated and then I read a little further. The TV hardly ever goes on in my home now and I must say I do not miss it AT ALL.
It took me a minute to catch on that this was an older post (which is completely fine to link up). I always love seeing your word from 2013!! :)))
Love you, girl. Means so much to be that you link up every week.