Junk Food For Your Soul?

Written by John Grant

What does your spiritual diet consist of? Do you need help to improve your diet? Ask a mentor.

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval” (John 6:27).

All I needed was a loaf of bread, so I turned into one of those gas stations on steroids where you can buy most of the necessities of life. I looked up and down row after of row for a simple measly loaf of bread. Finally, in the back corner on a bottom shelf, I found a loaf or two. But, what amazed me was all the other food offerings.

There was row after row of all sorts of snacks containing high fats, carbs and sugar. I started looking at the nutrition disclosures on individual packages. Why, the calorie intake on some of those small packages was more than half of a recommended daily caloric diet. No wonder American’s have an obesity problem.

You are what you eat, and what you eat influences virtually everything in your life, from how much energy you have . . . to how well your brain works . . . to how long you live. If you want to have a great brain, you must consistently give it nutrient-rich foods. I know it sounds almost too easy, but it’s a scientific fact: Change your diet, and you change your life.

But, those same principles dealing with our nutritional food diet apply to our spiritual diet and effect our life just as much…..change your thoughts and change your life. Garbage in, garbage out, or so the saying goes. We tend to become what we think about all day long.

Paul gives us some worthy advice in Philippians 4:8: “And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.”

Truth, goodness, righteousness, purity and loveliness… think about these things. Let them be the object of your careful attention and study, so as to practice them. Think what they are; think on the obligation to observe them; think on the influence which they would have on the world around you. Esteem them highly, recommend them heartily, and practice them fervently.

Are you still feeding your soul junk food? Just as you change your pattern of eating to get physically fit, change your pattern of thinking to get spiritually fit. Think on good things and you will be a better person. Cast your thoughts on Jesus and you become more like him. ( a thought on life from John Grant )

Questions: What are some of the “junk foods” you are feeding your soul? What steps need to be taken in order to have a healthier spiritual life?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Jesus, The Bread of Life, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Tags: caloric diet, carbs, eat, eternal life, garbage, gas stations, high fats, john grant, junk food, nutrient-rich, obesity, purity, snacks, soul, steroids, study, sugar, thoughts

5 Responses to “Junk Food For Your Soul?”

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kanj says:

June 10, 2009 at 4:56 pm

John, thank you for the devotional. Everything you’ve talked about has a common denomination-’CHANGE”. And change takes discipline from within and change takes time which requires patience within. again all with time. I am learning this in my physical and spiritual self. My ‘garbage’ pile is no where near the height it used to be but I’ve still a long way to go in removing it completely.
The steps? continue daily to read His Word, and in prayer, just talk to Him as to what’s in the heart. Trust and hope in God is all I know now. But there will be days where it will be dis heartening so I must make sure my steps lead down the right path and straight to Him.
sharon b says:

June 9, 2009 at 2:40 pm

i need to work on forgiving someone who has hurt my children very bad.
roshini says:

June 6, 2009 at 9:59 pm

needed this to check out my life..thank you
shobana says:

June 6, 2009 at 7:30 pm

thanks for ur message…its a good spiritual meal!
anonymous says:

June 6, 2009 at 1:24 pm

Amen, thank you for this reminder. We should be careful with things like tv, etc., & the Lord has been reminding me of this. May we turn from these things by His grace. Amen.