You are what you eat

Some time ago there was a program, far from popular with everyone, on TV called “You are what you eat”. It was led by a woman called Anna and the purpose of the program was to help people change their life style mainly when it came to what they ate. Anna was quite tough and threw away most of the things the people she visited had in their fridge and kitchen cupboard and exchanged it for healthy things they hade never eaten before.

You may have an opinion about these kind of programs but the truth is that they have helped a lot of people loosing weight, but more important than that, when they exchange their junk food to healthy food they feel a lot better and their lives are improved. I believe it’s the same in our spiritual lives. Just like the things we eat will affect our bodies and lives either positive or negative, will the things we “eat” – what we listen to, watch or read – affect our spiritual lives.

Some years ago I was sitting talking with one of my former pupils. She, who had at the time we were talking become an adult, told me something that I have been reminded of many times. She told me how she, during a period of time in her life, started to develop a bad attitude against other people and that wrong words started to come out of her mouth more often, even that she didn’t want to. This was not the kind of person she wanted to be or how she wanted to act against others. She thought a lot about it and after a while she realized that she had almost stopped reading her Bible and instead started watching TV every day. She understood that there was a connection between what she “ate” with her eyes and what kind of attitude she had developed. Immediately she changed her diet back to eating the Word of God again, as she used to do, and reduced her time watching TV and she was surprised how fast her behavior, words and attitude changed and became positive again.

I think we all can recognize ourselves in her story. Sometimes, maybe even often, we do and say things we don’t want to and it makes us sad. Nobody wants to go around with a wrong attitude and hurt other people. Maybe you have been wondering where this behavior has come from and why you can’t get rid of it. I am certain that our attitude and behavior has to do with what we “eat”.

The Bible is full of verses which speaks about this. In first Corinthians is says that all things are lawful but all things don’t help or edify (1 Cor 10:23). In Galatians we can read about sowing and walking in the Spirit or in the flesh and what results out of it (Gal 5:16), 6:8). Jesus also talks about it when he says that by the fruit you know the tree (Luke 6:44). When God speaks to us through His word it is out of love not condemnation. He knows what is best for all of us. We have a free will to do whatever we want but I’m convinced that when we follow our instruction book, the Bible, we feel the best.

There is no other time, as spring, when magazines are filled with receipts and methods to become healthier. I don’t believe in any “Five steps to become fit” or “Three ways of loosing weight” but I do believe that small changes in our diet can really change how we feel and improve our health. This is also true when it comes to our spiritual life together with Jesus.

Let us make the decision together. Let us take a step in the right direction and change our spiritual diet. Let us fill our lives with healthy things such as reading the Bible, Christian literature, listening to Christian teachings and worship. I have made the decision, have you?

From my heart
/Hanna Bloom