trbccoffeebreak

“In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have been following.” 1 Timothy  4:6

So, as is my cyclical preoccupation, I’ve got eating on the brain again (well, not eating, actually). Even though my health/fitness isn’t the idol it used to be in my life, I still go through phases of self-berating for eating sweet treats and over-indulging. For instance, recently over the course of six weeks, I had no sugar and no processed foods. I felt great and, after the sugar cravings and seven-day post-caffeine headache went away, I was cruising along without thinking (read: obsessing) about food. I was solely nourishing my body and mind. It was great. (Sadly, despite that, I’m still struggling to lose my “COVID-10.”)

Then, my son and his wife came to visit. We ate out, got ice cream, did movie night (complete with piles of dollar-store candy). You get the picture. I enjoyed their visit immensely—and all the delicious food. But just like that, my food-for-fuel mentality switched back to wanting (and needing) that next sugar fix. And so the rollercoaster goes.

For many of us, this cycle is a familiar thing. If you’re with me on this, I know you know that the healthiest relationship with food is one of nourishment. We are meant to use food to power the body and mind. “Junk in” manifests itself in low energy, weight gain, headaches, and moodiness—not to mention the internal toll it takes on us.

Friends, did you know that what is true of the body is also true of the spirit? Just as the Apostle Paul wrote as an exhortation to Timothy, we are to be constantly nourished on God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:6). And just as with our physical health, our spiritual health is impacted by “junk in.” What is “junk” in this context? It’s the things of this world—love of stuff, money, and self. The Bible is clear that to love (inhale, imbibe, consume) what the world loves will turn us away from loving God (1 John 2:15-17, Romans 12:2, James 4:4, Colossians 2:8).

We’ve got to nourish ourselves with God’s Word! Every bit of it is profitable—for teaching, training, correcting, and equipping us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It lights our way in this dark world and helps us to not wander into sinful snares (Psalm 119:105; 10-11). Just like eating nutritious food protects us from having unhealthy bodies, consuming the Truth of God keeps our soul unpolluted and our way pure (Psalm 119:9—yep, this particular Psalm is like a spiritual recipe book, so check it out!).

What is your spiritual diet like these days? Are you getting a hearty daily intake of God’s Word to sustain you? Let’s commit to making Bible reading an everyday priority—not only is it soul-nourishing, it’s oh so satisfying.

“Your Word is life, Lord. Thank You for providing this food for life—this love letter from your heart to mine.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life