You Are What You Eat
How many of my body parts can actually be made from chocolate?
Reference: Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 135:18 NIV)
Explore: Doctors and dieticians like to tell us that “we are what we eat’.
My mother, as a GP, actually had a picture replicating this helpful phrase. It was a man who was made up of lots of different foods (proportionate to the food pyramid).
He had a cauliflower as a head, broccoli as lungs, sausages as legs and cheese as his teeth. Every part of his body was made up by using a particular food.
Clearly this man was very healthy and the picture was encouraging us to eat in a similar way. Unfortunately, I’m not sure my food body would be quite so healthy!
How many of my body parts can actually be made from chocolate?
The explanation, however, is a good one. The food we place into our bodies correlates with how healthy we are and the energy we have.
Application: While there is a great deal of focus these days on what we put into our bodies through our mouths, I don’t think there is enough priority placed on the teachings of what we put into our bodies through our minds.
We are taught that if we put trash into our mouths then we will be unhealthy, but we also need to realise that if we put trash into our minds then our minds will be unhealthy. That will flow into our relationships, our work, our families and certainly into our faith.
The Old Testament speaks often about the idols that people let into their lives and the destruction that they brought. I think that there are still many idols in our world today that look appealing, and yet, bring destruction and separation from Christ.
While we all have food delicacies that we indulge in every now and again, we also have other treats in our lives that we like to enjoy. Often, when kept in check, these treats are fine, but if we overindulge then they can take over and cause us to be unhealthy.
I’m not referring to things like porn, gambling, or abuses. These are clearly no-go zones as far as I’m concerned. But there are other things that we like to indulge in that, if taken too far, lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Over spending, not prioritizing family, slacking off at work… We all have times and seasons in our lives, but if we allow our little splurges to become a lifestyle then things can get ugly.
Yes, our physical bodies are important to care for, but our mental and spiritual selves are also in need of health and protection. You are what you eat, so look out for what keeps coming up on the menu.
Prayer: Lord, You have given each of us free will and there are times when we abuse this. While we our bad decisions may bring short term pleasure, we know that a life separate from You only leads to harm and pain. May we stay alert to everything we place into our bodies, through our mouths as well as through our eyes, and strive to live a holy life that is pleasing to You. Amen.
What do you put into your body that needs to change?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.