You Are What You Eat!

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

Have you ever heard the expression, “You are what you eat?” How well your body functions is dependent on the nutrients you put in it. That is why it is important to make healthy choices when it comes to meals and snacks. Each part of your body’s systems are affected by what you put into your mouth.

Our minds are also affected by what we put into them. If one makes a habit of watching movies that are filled with coarse language, he will become used to these obscenities, and eventually, these words will slip from his lips. If one’s eyes view pictures that are unwholesome, the images will stick and create thoughts that may eventually turn into wrong actions.

Though it may be obvious that feeding our minds with ungodly things is a problem, there is another problem just as great. When thinking or learning about spiritual things it is important to make sure that you are ingesting sound doctrine.

The Spirit of God warns that in later times many will fall away from the faith. This will not necessarily be because they are not interested in spiritual things. The problem will occur when they begin to pay attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. Many will fall prey to beliefs that are not based fully on God’s word. Satan is a scheming liar and will lead some to teach things that may sound good because they contain a shred of truth, but on closer examination will be known to be false and lead men and women astray.

The Apostle Paul encourages his spiritual son, Timothy, to make these dangers known to his congregation and to warn them to nourish themselves only on the words of the true faith and sound doctrine. Instead of feasting on worldly fables, they were to discipline themselves for the purpose of godliness. Paul gave Timothy some meat to chew on that would protect him and his congregation from being poisoned by Satan’s less-than-choice morsels. We would do well to consider these things also.

Be Confident – Do not let anyone look down on your youth. Your youth does not prevent you from understanding the truth and being guided by God’s spirit.

Be Attentive – Give attention to the public reading of the Scripture, to exhortation, and teaching. Choose a church where the Scripture is read and recognized as the inerrant Word of God.

Be Faithful – Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you. God has given each believer gifts of the Spirit with which they can serve their brothers and sisters in Christ. Be faithful to use these gifts diligently.

Be Careful – Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them. Make it the highest priority to meditate on God’s word daily and to obey all His commands. Do not ever let down your guard. As you diligently follow Christ, your progress will be evident to all.

Be Persistent – Pay close attention to yourself. Watch yourself carefully. Satan is an angel of light and will try to trick you with his subtle lies. Persevere in studying God’s word for yourself and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit so you will be familiar with the truth. Pray that God will reveal any wrong attitude or belief before it takes root in your mind. Make sure your private life and public life both reflect the life of Christ.

You are what you eat! Just as you should pay attention to what you put into your mouth, you must also pay attention to what you put in your mind. Constantly nourish yourself on God’s words and sound doctrine. In this way, you will stay strong and healthy in body and in mind and in faith!

Love,

Mama