April 7, 2009

A Balanced Diet

Read Matthew 6: 25, 31-33

I've been thinking about my diet lately. It's that New Year's thing. Anyway - as I try to pay more attention to nutrition, I find myself bombarded with those little food pyramids. You've seen them. The greatest portion of our daily food intake should be from grains and the next biggest is fruits and vegetables, etc. It occurred to me one day that I could apply the same pyramid to my spiritual nutrition.

The base of the pyramid - the foundation - is breads and grains. Well that's an easy one. There are all sorts of references to bread in the Bible, but the most obvious bread for our spiritual well-being is from Communion. Each taste of Communion bread serves as a reminder of Jesus and all he did for us. That's a pretty good foundation.

The next biggest portions are supposed to come from fruits and vegetables. At our house we love our "Veggies" (in the form of Veggie tales). We might sit and watch two or three in a row - half the time at my prompting. For those of you who haven't seen them, Veggie tales are cartoons where the characters are vegetables and fruits. They act out stories from the Bible, or just stories which teach a value such as thankfulness, loving your neighbor, etc. Often they are the only "veggies" I can be certain will be met with enthusiasm.

Hebrews 5: 12-14 talks about the need for milk versus meat. (The next level in the food pyramid.) Milk represents the elementary principles of God's word. The meat represents the more complex principles. A well-balanced spiritual diet should have a little of each. You have to remember the basics if you want to understand the more challenging aspects.

As for the top of the pyramid - the goodies, the fats - we are supposed to eat these sparingly. Proverbs 15: 30 tells us that "Good news puts fat on the bones." What a great way to top off the spiritual food pyramid - with the "Good News"!

Thought for the day: Am I remembering to nourish my spirit?

Prayer:
Father we thank you for our blessings and the food we enjoy. Pardon our sins, guide us through life, and at last save us. Amen.

Jacki Rumpp (February 28, 2001)