Eating Clean
Julia Bettencourt
Eating clean is all the rage today. People are concerned about their health and the health of their families. We are all tired of putting ingredients that we can’t even pronounce in our bodies. Eating clean is a whole concept of getting back to eating whole foods or that “real” food.
I have been thinking about this concept and wonder how clean we are about eating our spiritual food – the Word of God?
We are all concerned about adding those artificial sweeteners and preservatives into our food, but how often do we sprinkle those additives on to our Bible reading? Are you hooked on Bible study guides written by man? Some of them may enhance the flavor but unfortunately some of them can be very harmful.
If you have to have a Bible study guide and certain author’s opinion on a Bible topic, or you have a need for Bible study only through DVD, maybe your body has gotten used to it. Maybe you need to go on a cleanse and just sit down with God’s Word all by itself.
Sure, Bible study guides can be helpful at times, but unfortunately many of them don’t encourage depth and insight into the Bible passage it covers.
Reading God’s Word and developing insight helps a Christian grow. It’s the proper food for our bodies. We can’t just rely on what authors think or feel about the Bible. We need to read and study it for ourselves.
I’m not saying we have to cut out the Bible study guides and books completely but maybe we should limit our intake of those highly processed things when it comes to our spiritual health.
- Read the Label.
Part of being aware of what is in our food is reading the label. When it comes to Bible study authors we need to see what they are all about. We need to read the ingredients. We need to be aware of their doctrine and beliefs, and of their affiliation. - Increase Your Intake.
We might not be able to cut out those additives completely out of our food, but we could all afford to up the intake of those whole and natural foods. We can all take in more whole food where the Word of God is concerned too. We need to read and study the Bible in its purest form. - Soak in the Benefits.
When we start eating whole foods, we start noticing textures and flavors that we never did before. We begin gaining valuable nutrients that we were missing before.Look at the benefits of getting familiar with God’s Word just one on one. We acquire spiritual growth, increased vitality, and strength. It gives us conviction. It gives us focus. It gives a desire for more.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” Psalm 63:1
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1-2
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8
Conclusion:
I’m not saying that Bible studies and Christian books can’t be helpful to us. Those things have their place, but I just fear that some of us have taken in so much in the way of Christian books and Bible study guides that we don’t really have a hunger for the Word of God anymore unless we have someone whispering in our ear what it means or what they think it means. We have to start reading and discerning on our own if we ever want to grow as Christians.So, have you tried some “clean eating” of the Word lately?