How What You Feed Your Soul Affects Your Spiritual Health

You Are What You Eat

If you've ever been on a diet, you know that the food you eat is important. Eating healthy foods can lead to a healthy body, while eating junk food can lead to health problems. But have you ever thought about the idea that you become what you eat, not just physically, but spiritually?

The Bible talks about the importance of what we put into our bodies, but it also talks about what we feed our souls. In this article, we'll explore this idea and see how it applies to our lives today.

What Does the Bible Say About What We Eat?

In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites specific laws about what they could and could not eat. These laws were meant to set the Israelites apart from other nations and to teach them about holiness. Some of these laws included not eating certain animals, such as pigs and shellfish.

However, in the New Testament, Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19). This meant that the dietary laws from the Old Testament were no longer necessary for Christians. Paul also talked about the importance of not judging others based on what they eat (Romans 14:1-4).

So, while the Bible does talk about what we should and should not eat, it's not the main focus. Instead, the Bible focuses on what we feed our souls.

What Does the Bible Say About What We Feed Our Souls?

In the same way that what we eat can affect our physical health, what we feed our souls can affect our spiritual health. The Bible talks about the importance of filling our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

When we fill our minds with these things, we are less likely to be influenced by the negative things in the world. However, when we fill our minds with negative things, we become more negative ourselves. This is why it's so important to be intentional about what we feed our souls.

Jesus talked about this idea when he said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23).

In other words, what we focus on with our eyes affects our entire being. If we focus on negative things, our whole being will be negative. But if we focus on positive things, our whole being will be positive.

What Are We Feeding Our Souls?

So, what are we feeding our souls? Are we filling our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy? Or are we filling our minds with negative things that will ultimately bring us down?

Here are some examples of what we might be feeding our souls:

News

Watching the news can be important to stay informed about what's happening in the world, but it can also be a source of negativity. The news is often filled with stories of violence, crime, and other negative events. While it's important to be aware of these things, we need to be careful not to let them consume us.

Instead, we can balance the negative news with positive stories or take breaks from watching the news altogether. We can also pray for the people involved in the negative events and ask God to bring healing and peace to the situation.

Social Media

Social media can be a great way to connect with others and share positive things, but it can also be a source of negativity. Social media is often filled with arguments, negativity, and comparisons. We can easily get caught up in the drama and lose sight of what's really important.

Instead, we can be intentional about what we post and what we consume on social media. We can choose to follow accounts that inspire us and lift us up, and we can take breaks from social media when we need to.

Music

Music can be a powerful way to feed our souls, but it can also be a source of negativity. Some music glorifies violence, drugs, and other negative behaviors. We need to be careful about what we listen to and how it affects us.

Instead, we can choose to listen to music that inspires us and lifts us up. We can also choose to create our own music or listen to music that glorifies God.

Books and Movies

Books and movies can be a great way to escape reality and be entertained, but they can also be a source of negativity. Some books and movies glorify violence, sex, and other negative behaviors. We need to be careful about what we read and watch and how it affects us.

Instead, we can choose to read books and watch movies that inspire us and teach us something positive. We can also choose to create our own stories or watch movies that glorify God.

What Should We Be Feeding Our Souls?

So, if we want to feed our souls with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, what should we be feeding ourselves?

The Bible

The Bible is the ultimate source of truth and inspiration. It teaches us about God's love for us and how we can live a life that honors him. When we read the Bible, we are filling our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Reading the Bible can be difficult at times, but there are many resources available to help us understand it better. We can join a Bible study group, listen to sermons online, or read commentaries.

Prayer

Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God and fill our souls with his love and peace. When we pray, we are acknowledging our dependence on God and asking him to guide us in our lives.

We can pray at any time and in any place. We can pray silently or out loud. We can pray for ourselves, for others, and for the world. Prayer is a way to focus our minds on God and his goodness.

Worship

Worship is a way to celebrate God's goodness and express our love for him. When we worship, we are filling our souls with things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

We can worship in many different ways, such as singing, dancing, painting, or writing. We can worship alone or with others. Worship is a way to focus our minds on God and his greatness.

Community

Community is an important part of feeding our souls. When we surround ourselves with other believers, we are encouraged and inspired to live a life that honors God.

We can find community in many different ways, such as joining a church, attending a Bible study, or volunteering at a local organization. Community is a way to connect with others who share our values and beliefs.

Conclusion

Just as we become what we eat physically, we become what we feed our souls spiritually. If we want to live a life that honors God and fills us with joy and peace, we need to be intentional about what we feed ourselves.

Let's choose to fill our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Let's choose to read the Bible, pray, worship, and surround ourselves with a community of believers. When we do these things, we will become more like Christ and bring glory to God.