Are You Spiritually Malnourished?
On we go through 1 Timothy! Chapter 4 begins with these words:
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed." (1 Timothy 4:1-6)
In those days there were people saying that in order to please God you should avoid nice things, like marriage, and also eating certain foods.
Junk Food, Health Trends, and What Paul Really Meant
I thought that was interesting, because in our time there is much obsession with food! There are those who will tell you quite passionately to avoid certain foods and get healthy to please God. I don't think Paul would disagree with taking care of your body for the glory of God, or with eating carefully and thoughtfully as a Christ-follower.
Especially in this era of junk food! Would you believe that there are four different McDonald's and four different KFCs very close to my house! That's not food, is it? Although it is tasty!
When Paul said that abstaining from certain foods is unnecessary, I wonder to myself if he would have said the same thing in our world, where food has become an industry, and a lot of it is plain poison. He says here that everything that God created is good and should be received with thanksgiving. Did God create McDonald's and KFC to be received with thanksgiving? Or is it plain, healthy food that God would have us eat?
Maybe we should be eating healthier, as Christians, because we have this sacred sense of God's presence in our bodies.
I think in the end this is one of those issues that we can't put rules on. It's a secondary issue. It's up to you in your walk with God. Maybe you're at a place where you need to make a change. Maybe you're not.
Why Spiritual Nourishment Matters More Than Physical Health
In fact the ultimate point Paul was making was that in the end, your spiritual nourishment is more important than your physical nourishment. Paul was more interested in Timothy being nourished spiritually on "the truths of the faith" and the "good teaching" he had brought to Timothy.
Ray Comfort likes to say, "no Bible, no breakfast - no read, no feed!" For him, being nourished on God's Word is more important than having breakfast.
After all, you are what you eat - the saying goes!
How to Feed Your Soul With Good Things Daily
Spiritually, what are you eating? Spiritual junk food that has no nutritional value? Spiritual 'fluff' with no substance? Maybe you only eat the sweet tasting stuff and never allow yourself to take in something that's tough to swallow but good for you? Maybe you're hardly eating any spiritual food, and you're severely under-nourished?
Watch your life, Paul says. Live carefully and deliberately. Watch what you eat - physically, and spiritually.
Fuel your body and your soul with good things! And you’ll know what it means to be nourished.
Paul cared more about Timothy's spiritual diet than his physical one. Take stock of your own spiritual diet this week - are you feeding your soul, or letting it go hungry?