I’m always in the middle of a few books at the same time. Two that I was recently inching bookmarks through are French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guliani and It’s Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens by Phil Callaway and Martha Bolton.
One is an interesting look at the diet habits of women in France compared to those in North America, and the other is a book written by two Christian humorists about how we can find joy in even the most difficult situations.
Strangely, I got a somewhat similar message from both books: What we get out of life is strongly connected to what we put into it.
We know that we can’t feast on chocolate and ice cream, sit around watching TV all day, and then expect to be healthy and fit. (And, no matter what Callaway says, having a balanced diet does not mean carrying a plate in each hand at a buffet!)
Similarly, we can’t overload our minds with worldly entertainment or information that is empty at best and corrupt or evil at worst, and then expect to reflect Christ in our words and deeds. We can’t commit all our time to selfish pursuits — whether they are for our careers, our leisure time, or our materialistic lusts — and then hope to have stress-free lives and meaningful relationships.
Lately I have been reminded of the absolute importance of devoting time for the study of Scripture. No matter how many excuses I make or how I try to reason with myself that I attend church and Bible study regularly, I know that I need to spend more time in personal Bible study.
When I go through a week of undisciplined eating and I’ve been too lazy to go for my much-needed walks, I feel it. I’m sluggish, my clothes are uncomfortable, and my conscience bothers me. However, when I’ve filled myself with vegetables and other wholesome foods, and when I’ve been at least somewhat active, I feel great!
In the same way, if I’ve gone too long without digging deep into God’s Word, all the other spiritual “junk food” I’ve ingested starts to manifest itself in my life. We must be the only creatures who knowingly fill our lives and bodies with so much garbage! No wonder many of us are unhappy and dissatisfied.
Let’s get rid of the trash… and “eat” the good stuff!
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