The Importance Of a Spiritual Diet
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - John 6:35
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
In the short time since I’ve become a devout Christian, I have come to many realizations about my 5+ decades on this earth. I think that aging has compelled me to become more reflective of the past. Further, having a much stronger faith has added another dimension to my retrospection.
In addition to looking back over the decisions I made throughout my life, I am able to see how those decisions have coincided with where I was on a spiritual level. I can see very distinct patterns, which have convinced me that spiritual diet is EVERYTHING.
I grew up with a family who was far from devout. Nobody in my immediate or extended family ever spoke of the gospel or even spoke Jesus’ name, unless it was in vain, and it showed. My family was extremely dysfunctional, due to my dad’s abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs...and us. My spiritual diet consisted only of what I learned at my Catholic school - copious amounts of guilt, hell, and damnation. I spent my life unaware that I was a lukewarm Christian, who didn’t understand what being “born again” meant. I think, in many ways, I felt that Heaven seemed unattainable because getting there came with certain conditions. If I didn’t go to church, if I didn’t confess my sins, if I took holy communion with a mortal sin on my soul, and died, I would go straight to hell. I completely understand why the Catholic church taught me such things, but my spiritual ignorance led me to abandon all hope of having a relationship with God.
During one of my roughest periods, I escaped by playing video games, some of which had spiritually dark themes. Let me clarify that I’ve never had an interest in the occult, but I probably {at the time} viewed such games as “harmless” because it was “just a game” and not “real life”. I belonged to a gaming community consisting of great people who would eventually become my virtual support network. This community was centered around specific games, and I think that having a network of supportive friends somehow distracted me from the dark nature of the games we played. I focused on the fun we had together, as well as the fact that everyone was really helpful. Yes, I was with good people…but we were still playing a dark game. I further justified my interest in those games as “therapeutic”; I believed playing them eased my daily stress. I now know that playing those games coincided with the trouble that was happening in my life; although it took some time after I stopped playing and threw them out, things became infinitely better for my family and me.
Did I invite malevolent spirits into my life unknowingly? I believe I did. Further, I believe the path which led me away from my Almighty Father began early in my life, and continued through various stages/circumstances. One of the most important things I ever did was to evaluate and understand the reasons behind God’s absence during certain periods of my life. Even more important was coming to the realization that I alone am responsible for God’s presence in my life. I am accountable for the events that happened as a result of His absence. I am the one in control of my spiritual diet by my obedience to God, and surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s discernment and conviction of my sins.
It has to be a willing decision to put on the full armor of God, by trusting in Jesus Christ, and receiving the Holy Spirit out of pure desire to receive God’s protection against the forces of evil. We must understand that there is a constant battle for our souls, and that Satan is watching, waiting for a vulnerable soul to turn away from our Almighty Father, so that he can take up residence and use us for his nefarious purposes. Please take care of all aspects of your diet. What you eat/watch/listen to/read, who you associate with, and what you bring into your home on a daily basis affects your life, whether or not you know or realize it.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7
If you are:
personally experiencing one hardship after another;
constantly mistreated/abused by people around you;
in an abusive relationship {even if you don’t think it’s abuse};
feeling lost, in a constant state of confusion;
feeling depressed or anxious…
…turn to Him in prayer and obedience, and watch your life change. Try The Challenge, if you’re unsure where to begin.
I hope that sharing my story will help change the lives of those who read it. My life changed by the grace of my Father and I want the same for everyone who’s lost and looking for the answers that only He can provide. Just ask Him, and see what happens when you do!
God Bless!