We Are What We Eat
There are many interesting sayings about eating habits, but I have chosen two of them, We are what we eat. Another is, We dig our graves with our teeth . No doubt there is much truth in both of these sayings and it is unfortunate that while living in a land of plenty, we eat so poorly. When we say poorly, we do not mean inexpensively because everyone who buys food knows that it is anything but cheap. It seems that much of its food value is lost by the time the food gets to us. One doctor recently told us that there is as much food value in the cardboard box in which some of our breakfast cereals come as in the cereal itself. This is an example of good money being spent on poor nutrition.
If it is true that we are what we eat, then we should be careful what we eat because it matters what we are. Now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be (1 John 3:1-3). Daniel recognized his responsibility to God and therefore purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat, nor with the wine which he drank. It took a great deal of courage to speak up and refuse to eat the meat of the king when Daniel was a slave, but it was so important that he did assert himself.
Do we assert ourselves to stand up for what we believe? We certainly do not have the same trial that Daniel had, but we need wisdom to know to refuse the evil and choose the good. This applies to much more than the food we eat, but if good nutrition is necessary for good health, then we should make every effort to eat good food so that we can live properly. When we are in poor health our service to God is certainly impaired.
Of course, we can serve God wherever we are, and we know of several who were taught the truth by Christadelphians in the next bed in hospital. If we are sick then we serve God as best we can, but the point is we should do our utmost to be well so we can serve Him with vigour. As important as our physical health is our spiritual health is even more vital to our service to the Lord. Here again it is our diet that is vital to our service to the Lord. If we eat, we are feeding our physical man. What are we feeding our spiritual man? Jesus said that his meat was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work. This must be our meal also if we are followers of Jesus. Where do we get the meal that the world is missing? It is there for those who are willing to partake of it, for the word of God which is able to make us wise unto salvation, is available to everyone. How few choose to digest it! Jeremiah found the word of God to be delicious: Your words were found and I ate them, and your words were to me the joy and the delight of my heart: for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of armies (Jeremiah 15:16).
There is food all around us but most of it is as nourishing as a cardboard box. If we are wise we can choose that food that gives us real nutrition. There are books all around us that feed the mind garbage. If we are wise we will choose Gods words and meditate in His law day and night. Let us be wise and follow Jesus. He knew what to eat and Isaiah, speaking of Him, said: Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isaiah 7:15).
Bro Moses Komanya with his grand-daughter and brothers and sisters of Kidatu Ecclesia, Tanzania
Bro Moses Komanya (Kidatu, Tanzania)
