You Are What You Eat

There have been seasons where I faithfully laced up my tennis shoes, counted my steps, went on my walks, and then rewarded myself with food that completely canceled out the work I had just done. I’d stand on the scale wondering why nothing was changing.

Then God quietly whispered, “You do know you can do the same thing spiritually, right?”

Well… that felt personal.

Matthew 4 opens with Jesus in the wilderness after fasting for forty days. Satan doesn’t begin by tempting Jesus with something obviously evil. He tempts Him with something Jesus is legitimately hungry for.

“If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answers in Matthew 4:4:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

I’ve read that verse countless times.

Today it tasted different.

The issue was never bread.

The issue was what Jesus believed would actually sustain Him.

Satan wasn’t trying to feed Jesus. He was trying to convince Him to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.

That made me wonder…

How often do I try to outwork a poor spiritual diet?

I can listen to podcasts.
I can serve.
I can teach.
I can attend church.
I can stay busy doing “Christian things.”

Yet if I’m not consistently feeding myself God’s Word, eventually I’m trying to build strength on an empty stomach.

You cannot outwork a bad diet.

Not physically.

Not spiritually.

I think that’s why so many of us become frustrated. We wonder why we’re exhausted, easily offended, anxious, impatient, or spiritually weak.

Meanwhile we’ve been snacking on social media for hours and spending five minutes with Scripture.

Whatever area we remain ignorant in is usually the area where we suffer.

Not because God is punishing us.

Because healthy things require nourishment.

Peter says something beautiful in 1 Peter 2:2:

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

Notice the wording.

Grow.

Salvation is instantaneous.

Growth is not.

Growth requires feeding.

One thing I’ve been realizing is that sometimes the greatest obstacle to my spiritual growth isn’t even the enemy.

Sometimes…

It’s me.

It’s my “inner me.”

It’s the habits I’ve created.

The things I repeatedly consume.

The thoughts I allow to stay.

The voices I continue listening to.

The truth is, Satan isn’t always as strong as he is strategic.

He understands that if he can influence what we’re consuming, eventually he’ll influence who we’re becoming.

Because spiritually…

You are what you eat.

That doesn’t mean every struggle is sin.

I loved thinking through Hebrews 12:1 this morning, where we’re told to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us.

Those are two different things.

Some things aren’t sinful.

They’re simply heavy.

Some habits aren’t rebellion.

They’re just unhelpful.

A weight still slows you down even if it isn’t a sin.

That was freeing for me because it shifted the question from, “Is this wrong?” to, “Is this helping me become more like Christ?”

Those are very different conversations.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that what we consistently consume shapes three areas of our lives.

First, it develops our character.

Our culture is obsessed with what we accomplish.

God seems much more interested in who we’re becoming.

I’ve heard it said that gifts may get you into the room, but character determines whether you stay there.

That one stayed with me.

Because wherever I go…

I take me with me.

I can change jobs.

Change churches.

Change cities.

Change friendships.

Yet if my character isn’t being formed, I’ll eventually recreate the same unhealthy patterns in a different location.

Character is carried everywhere.

Second, Scripture develops competence.

That one surprised me.

We often separate our spiritual lives from our everyday abilities, but I don’t think God does.

When Scripture teaches me patience, I become a better leader.

When it teaches humility, I become a better listener.

When it teaches integrity, I become someone people trust.

When it teaches perseverance, I don’t quit as quickly.

Growing spiritually changes how I work, lead, communicate, love, forgive, and solve problems.

God develops the whole person.

Finally, Scripture develops clarity.

We all want God to speak.

We ask for signs.

Direction.

Confirmation.

Open doors.

Yet I kept thinking…

How do I recognize His whisper if I don’t know His voice?

The Bible doesn’t just give us information.

It tunes our ears.

The more familiar I become with God’s Word, the easier it becomes to recognize His character when He speaks.

You can’t discern His whisper if you don’t know His Word.

That’s why consistency matters so much.

It isn’t just the reading.

It’s the retaining.

It’s allowing God’s Word to stay with you long enough to reshape how you think.

Reading three chapters one day and disappearing for three weeks doesn’t nourish us any more than eating one healthy meal a month transforms our bodies.

Consistency over duration.

One meal at a time.

One chapter at a time.

One quiet morning at a time.

I also loved this reminder:

The goal isn’t simply to get through the Bible.

It’s to let the Bible get through you.

That’s an entirely different way of approaching Scripture.

Not reading to check a box.

Reading to be formed.

The Bible isn’t simply a book sitting on our nightstand.

It’s a meal.

Every morning we’re deciding what we’ll feed our souls.

Some days we’ll choose fear.

Some days comparison.

Some days endless scrolling.

Or…

We can choose the Bread of Life.

I’ve spent enough years wondering why my body wasn’t changing while my diet remained the same.

I’m realizing I don’t want to spend years wondering why my spiritual life isn’t changing while I’m feeding it the same unhealthy things.

Growth happens one meal at a time.

And thankfully, God’s table never runs out.