Not long ago I participated in a 10 day cleanse which required me to eat only uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, greens and seeds. I was amazed at how much I liked eating only the healthy foods. It didn’t take as much to make me feel full. I felt better…maybe a lot of that was just mental because I knew what I was putting into my body was good for me.
Surprisingly, most meals we ate were not only pleasing to the eyes, but they were pleasing to the taste. Who knew you could actually enjoy a salad that wasn’t smothered in Ranch dressing? Well, it is possible. Now, when I have a salad, I don’t even want Ranch dressing on it. I also enjoyed many, many smoothies that were loaded with fruit and with greens of all kinds. Every single one was absolutely delicious. We haven’t stopped having our morning green smoothie since the cleanse ended. I have found that I almost crave real, unprocessed foods more than the foods I have been known to eat.
When it comes to eating and especially during the cleanse, I found many different reactions from people. Some folks thought I was crazy for eating only uncooked fruits and vegetables for 10 days. Many people just don’t like raw fruits and vegetables. They say they just have to have meat of some sort.
Then there were those who almost worshipped the raw fruits and vegetables as if they were gods. They believed that those foods had power to do things that the only one true God can do. There were both ends of the spectrum and every shade in between when it came to eating raw foods. I found that I really enjoyed eating raw. Since the cleanse, we have increased the amounts of raw fruits and vegetables we eat.
There is no doubt in my mind that eating a healthier regimen is beneficial to the body physically. Just read Daniel 1:5-20. I felt better. I lost weight. The knee joint pain I typically felt as I started each training run was gone. Simply put I just felt better all the way around.
Lord willing, this coming June I will do another 10 day raw food only cleanse. I doubt I will ever eat only raw foods for the rest of my life. There are other things to eat that are good to eat contrary to some people’s beliefs.
1 Timothy 4:1 “…in the latter times some shall depart from the faith…”
1 Timothy 4:3 “…commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
1 Timothy 4:4 “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:”
1 Timothy 4:5 “For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
That is why we pray before each meal…to sanctify our food and thank the Lord for it. Yes, I want to make the wisest choices when it comes to the food I eat. It is good for the body when I eat uncooked fruits and vegetables. It is also good to enjoy a well cooked steak or chicken. The debate could go on and on…
There have always been controversies over what we should eat. I think the Apostle Paul said it best in his letter to the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 10:30-31
30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
I think folks need to ask themselves why they eat what they eat. Are they eating to the glory of God, or for some other reason?
If a person is eating raw foods because he believes it will do for them something that only God can do, then he is wrong.
If a person is indulging in foods that are rich and bring him comfort rather than looking to God for his comfort, then he is wrong.
The point is this…whether we eat a raw diet or the standard American diet, or somewhere in between; we should eat unto the Lord.
Romans 14:6 “…He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
Now the person who eats and has no regard for God who gave him his meal as well as his very breath (Daniel 5:23)... may God have mercy on him.
Whatever we choose to eat, we need to do so thoughtfully. My wife calls it mindful or thoughtful eating and it needs to be done for the glory of God. We live in such a fast paced world that we often don’t think about a lot of things, especially our food. Maybe it’s time for a change. We need to consider (for those who have been saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ) that our bodies are the temple of the Lord.
1Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Which brings me nicely to another point… why do some Christians take good care of their bodies, but neglect their spirits? Some are very careful about what they put into their bodies, but not so careful about what they put into their minds.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Psalm 101:2-4
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave unto me.
4 A forward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
There is direct correlation between what we see with our eyes and what we think about. That is why Job said…
Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Not only do we need to be thoughtful with the foods we put into our bodies, we need to be even more so thoughtful about what we allow our eyes to see…what we think about. In no way am I urging people to get rid of their cable, satellite dishes or radios. I am, however, sharing with you my experience. It’s been several months since we cancelled our satellite service. We haven’t watched TV in a while and I have found it to be a great thing.
I don’t care what channel you watch or how quick you are with the remote control to change the channel, you still see things with your eyes that war against the spirit. You still hear words that war against the spirit.
Where I work, there is a radio that is left on all day long. I have no choice but to listen to it. It is set on a local country music station…pop music stations are no better. The songs I unintentionally hear war against the soul. I need not go into any detail. The artists who write and sing the songs have a very shallow understanding of God if any at all. If I could set the radio to the Christian radio station it would be a different story, but since I have no control over it, I have to deal with it.
I have thoughts going through my mind that should not be there because of the music I hear on a daily basis. What about the shows that are watched on TV? I have yet to see a show that didn’t have some reference to the world’s idea of what intimate relations between and man and woman should be and it is far from what God has set forth in His Word. The world mocks sin. They make fun of the sodomite lifestyle. They mock marriage…all in the name of entertainment. You can’t watch a sports program without the camera spending some time on the “cheerleaders” who are not leading any one to cheer for the team…due to the lack of clothing they wear; they are promoting lust rather than team spirit.
Even if you have satellite and you watch the hunting channel there are still commercials that are filled with wickedness that pass right before your eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul… you can either take in things that will honor and glorify the Lord or you can take in things that will war against your soul.
I have found since I have stopped watching TV and have replaced TV time with family time, reading the word of God, listening to sermons, and studying the word of God, my thoughts are on things that are true, honest, just and pure. When I stopped watching movies that were laden with cursing, those words stopped being the first words that came to mind when something happened I wasn’t planning on.
It is my experience that when I eat those things that are healthy for me, my body functions better. Likewise, when I put into my mind those things that are spiritually healthy for me, my spirit functions better.
Yes taking care of our bodies is important, but taking care of the soul is of greater importance…what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:36-37
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What good is it if a person spends his time eating right and exercising, yet loses his soul? It’s not good at all. Life is in vain if it is lived for any purpose other than the glory of God. To the believer in Jesus Christ…take care of your body, it is the temple of God. More importantly, take care of your soul. Guard your soul.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
To the person who is doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ…hell is a real place and is the just punishment for sin against God. Fortunately Christ died for sinners. If you understand you are a sinner and that your sins are against God, cry out to God that He may have mercy on your soul. Confess your sins and ask Him to forgive you…He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved from the penalty of your sins and will be given eternal life.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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