Soul Food
It’s that time of year that all women dread. Bathing suit season.
All winter long we’ve eaten comfort foods, like hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fried chicken. When the snow starts to melt and the days get warmer, we start to think of summer and trips to the beach or pool. I tell myself every spring that if I go on a diet right away and start doing sit ups, by summer I will look better in my bathing suit.
Then June arrives and I haven’t done the first sit up or significantly changed my eating habits. I’m pretty much in the same place that I was this time last year. It won’t keep me from going to the pool, because I am a mom and moms go where their kids go. But every time I see a thin, well toned woman (especially one my age) in a bathing suit, I will 1) hate her (just kidding) and 2) realize what could have been if I had just been willing to do the work.
We are a society obsessed with our weight and physical appearance. As the saying goes, you can never be too thin or too tan (or too rich). Ironically, at the same time society has put such emphasis on weight and appearance, we have seen obesity become more the rule than the exception. That’s when watching what you eat becomes a matter of life and death.
Each year, millions of Americans go on some sort of diet, either to lose weight or for health reasons. The report I read said one out of every three women and one out of every five men are on a diet. Billions of dollars are spent each year on weight loss plans. Even if you are not enrolled in a specific plan, just dieting at home is expensive. (Why does healthy food seem to cost more?)
Regardless, we are very body conscious and weight conscious. I do think it is important to maintain a healthy weight. We should take care of the bodies that God has given us while we are here. But how much time and energy do we put into our spiritual nourishment? Are you in the same place spiritually that you were a year ago or have you grown? What are you feeding your soul? Is it junk food that is going to weigh down your heart and mind? Or is it the things of God that will strengthen your faith and lift you up?
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Back in the late 1980s when I first started working, the corporate catch phrases were “Input equals output” or “garbage in, garbage out”.
In other words, you’ll only get out of something what you have put into it. What you watch on television, what you read, what you listen to on the radio, what you Google on the internet, and what you talk about with friends and family – all that stuff that you fill your mind and soul with is what is going to come out of you. Input equals output. For example, if you watch movies or shows that use bad language, chances are you are going to use bad language. Not all movies or shows are bad. There are some good choices out there that can be beneficial to your spiritual growth. Your spiritual diet is as important, if not more so, than your physical diet.
First of all, the mainstay of your soul food diet is the Holy Bible. I don’t care if you are a strict King James Version person or if you like more reader-friendly versions like NIV, The Message, and the Amplified Bible – whichever it is, read it. Read as much as you like – there are zero calories and it is all good for you (2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”).
I know that some parts of the Bible are hard to read. So, before you start reading, pray that God will help you to understand what you are reading and that He will reveal Himself to you through the Word. I recommend getting a study Bible. Mine is The Life Application Study Bible. It has lots of explanatory notes, charts, maps, summaries, etc. You don’t have to start at Genesis and read straight through to Revelation. Take small bites here and there. Stimulate your appetite and hunger for God. I started with the Gospels after I got saved. Each day at lunch I would read for about thirty minutes, but there were days that I didn’t want to stop and I kept reading and studying. In a little over a year, I had read every book of the Bible. Of course, I have had to go back and reread many times, and each time I discover something new. When you ingest that word, it becomes a part of you. Which would you rather have to alter your shape: cupcakes and doughnuts or the Word of God?
While the Bible is the main source of your spiritual nourishment, you can supplement your diet with other things as long as you are careful and discerning. When you are watching what you eat, you read labels for calorie content and ingredients to make sure the food items fit your diet plan. The same goes for your choices in spiritual supplements. Whether you watch TV or listen to the radio, there are healthy choices. But you have to know what the Bible says so that you know what you are reading, watching or listening to lines up with the Word of God.
- If you watch television, you can watch shows that bill themselves as Christian programming. There are several stations that are dedicated to this, such as Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Inspiration Network, and Daystar Television Network. But you still have to be careful what you watch. I personally don’t watch much of these programs, but I know other people who really enjoy them. I do like to watch Dr. Charles Stanley. In small doses, I enjoy Joel Osteen. And I really, really love to watch Joyce Meyer. I enjoy her books as well. But there are also good shows on “regular” television. You just have to be choosy. I can tell you that I have quit watching shows that I used to love because the story lines or the language went in the wrong direction and I didn’t want that garbage coming into my mind.
- If you like to read, you have an overwhelming number of choices. I never realized how many Christian authors there were until I joined a Christian book club. I love to read mysteries and thought there wouldn’t be anything for me in the club. I was wrong. I have read a few and they aren’t bad. Just about every type of book is represented: mystery, romance, history, western, nonfiction. But you don’t have to read novels. A book of devotionals is a great thing to have around. Think of it as the perfect snack. You can get a collection of articles or a book that has a devotion for each day of the year.
- If you like to listen to the radio, then change your dial to a Christian radio station. The Christian music scene has just exploded in the last ten years. You can hear soft pop, rock, country, rap – whatever kind of music you like is represented in Christian music. You can buy CDs or download music to your IPod. Many of the songs are based on scriptures or express the songwriters’ experiences in their walk with God. Music is a great way to share the Word with people.
- If you a computer person and you love to be online, then you really have it made. You can watch Christian programming, read Christian materials and even listen to Christian radio on the Internet. You could even read a blog, like this one. Or maybe even write your own.
A few paragraphs back I quoted Philippians 4:8. Here is the same verse as it reads in a version of the Bible called The Message:
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
The saying goes that you are what you eat. Who do you want to be? When you can answer that question, you’ll know what choices to make.
