We had a speaker at the college fellowship I occasionally attend (not really in college anymore) last week that drew some parallels between the food pyramid we all know and love - and aspects of a healthy spiritual life.
Are you getting your spiritual fruits and veggies???
Here's how it broke down:
-Worship is like carbohydrates - it's the fuel that keeps you going throughout the day. God wants nothing more than to spend time with YOU. (think romantic candlelit dinner, flowers on the table, and you're staring into one another's eyes... God wants THAT with you every chance he gets! (various verses in Genesis 24)
-Prayer is like protein - you need it to grow. Without it - life is stressful, chaotic and stunted. It's existance more than living. If you give God only your busy time ... you'll be busy for the rest of your life (the 30 second "Hi-God-I've-got-a-test-in-2-minutes-please-help-me-pass" is busy time) You're not listening for his response. Give God your free time - you'll have more free time. Stop and take time to LISTEN. You'll come to undersand God, who He is, what He's about, and in so, the wisdom and discerning Solomon had will begin to grow in you. You'll have more free time because you'll spend less time worrying about decisions, and you'll have confidence - won't waste time waffling on decisions, or trying to find the best this-or-that... You can get past the business of existing, and get to the business of LIVING. ( John 10:10)
-Reading the Bible is like fruits and veggies - it's the vitamins that keep you healthy. When you're immersed in the word, you KNOW what God says about certain subjects, what's right, what's wrong, what He likes, and what He doesn't. You don't end up making it up as you go along... (Psalm 119:103)
- Fellowship is like dairy products - it contributes to your structure and keeps you from buckling under pressure. You need it to grow and mature. A christian alone is a recipe for temptation... a person without calcium is asking for a bad fall and a broken hip. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
- Acts of service are like exercise - it's an outlet for what you've taken in. Without excercise, your body gets weak, flabby, and eventually starts to get sick and rot from the inside out. A Christian who's not serving others will get weak, flabby and sick. They're out of touch with the outside world. Acts of service doesn't have to be anything big... like being a missionary in the outer reaches of upper Mongolia for the rest of your life. (if that's your calling, GREAT!) But for others, it's as simple as grabbing that shopping cart that's the farthest away, and bringing it with you when you go in to shop. Hold the door for an elderly person. Help a kid tie his shoes. Make a meal for a brand-new mom and her family. Give your roommate a ride to work when his car breaks down. Get into the habit of serving - you'll be surprised how much you do without thinking, and people will notice that something's different about you... the same way you can tell an athlete by toned muscles. (James 2:14-26)
Want to know what the oils, sugars and other "discretionary calories" are???
PLAYTIME! ( Psalm 145)
Go have FUN. Take a white water rafting trip - go hiking in the mountains. play Bunco with your fellowship group (and anyone else who wants to come) Go stargazing. Plan an all-night broom hockey tournament at the skating rink. Go paintballing. Have a Halo tournament. Take a cross-country road trip. God designed us with a desire for adventure and play - it's more than OK to do so once in awhile! But just like a diet entirely of sugar isn't a good thing - a life entirely of play isn't either. Balance it out ... and people really will want to know why you're different, why your life seems more put together than theirs is.... not to say your life will always be peachy... there will be thorns along with the roses.... but it will be more vibrant, more ALIVE and more healthy than you can imagine...
How's that for "food for thought" for the day! :-D
