O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)
Every summer as a teen, I used to spend several hours a day riding "The Piglet." To spend 6-8 hours out and about was not abnormal. I usually left the stable and didn't return until I was done riding for the day so riding to a lake, river or creek to offer her water was always part of our trek. For the longest time, she'd refuse to drink anywhere but home no matter how long we had been out or how hot it was. I knew she had to be thirsty so I'd walk her through it, try forcing her head down into it, even opening her mouth and letting drops fall into it; we even swam in it but she'd rarely drink. Instead she'd wait until we got home and drink down half a bathtub full of water like she was dying of thirst. This always annoyed me. Did she think I was trying to poison her when we were out on the trail or what?
For whatever reason, the thought never occurred to me to bring water for myself either. Much of the time, I rode alone and like my horse, just waited until we arrived home and guzzled gross water from the hose because I was dying of thirst. There was one occasion, however, when it was so hot I thought I might pass out if I did not get myself some water. We were about three miles from home and I knew I wasn't going to make it. I was riding on the shoulder of a busy rural road and visions of me passing out, falling off and being run over started terrorizing me. And worse yet, my horse would probably be hit too. My insides were screaming, my head was pounding and my desperation to stop my body from overriding my will to stay conscious overruled any fear I had that the water source might be contaminated. I ended up drinking out of a nearby creek and water never tasted so good! (and I never got sick) It didn't take long for my body to recover after getting a much needed pint of water (at least). As I was slurping, I heard someone who wasn't me slurping too. I looked over and it was my horse. I asked her, "So, if I can drink it, you can drink it?" I guess she just needed me to show her it was okay. After that, she drank more times than she didn't when we reached water. As for me, bringing water along became a priority.
There were several other memorable occasions when as a teen I learned that I better listen to my body and take care of it properly - or suffer the consequences. Hopefully, by the time we all reach adulthood, we will have acquired a good knowledge of our bodies needs and recognize (perhaps through trial and error) that balance is key for proper functionality. Then we can impart this knowledge to our children as well as recognize the imbalances in their diets and correct them before they lead to all sorts of maladies.
Unfortunately, children prefer to eat what tastes good to their mouths, not what is healthy for their bodies and as such a taste and desire for many foods that are wholesome must be developed. They must also be taught self-control in order to resist eating junk food in excess (when a parent is not looking -- or when a grandparent is aiding and abetting them).
Convincing my children to try new foods that do not immediately appeal to them reminds me of trying to convince my horse to drink water that looks strange to her. They've usually decided they don't like the food well before they take that obligatory bite and 99% of the time, they make horrible faces and spit it out. I've noticed, however, that somewhere down the line, all those samples lead to a genuine craving for whatever that food was and suddenly they are asking me to make it more regularly. I love it when that happens!
But while proper care of the body is of high value, we must never forget the importance of nurturing our children's souls and spirits. With so much worldly importance given to outward appearance and wellness, it is easy for the body to become a god over us. Lest we forget, the body is simply the temporary dwelling for the soul and spirit. The body will wither and die, but the soul and spirit are eternal. Thus, nothing is more important than teaching our children how to properly nurture their souls and spirits but in order to do this, we cannot be feeding ourselves "junk" The blind cannot lead the blind and the dead cannot raise the dead.
Proper nourishment for soul and spirit come from the giver of their eternal nature: God. Sustenance from any other source is akin to a steady physical diet of junk food and will result in illness, starvation and death. It really is as simple as:
junk food (sin) = eternal death
or
whole foods (God) = eternal life
Let's examine the two diets.
The person who feeds on the "junk" of this world can expect their spirit (mind) to be dominated by spirits that oppose God: ungratefulness, greed, dissatisfaction, selfishness, covetousness, bitterness, jealousy, arrogance, anxiety, impatience, hopelessness, despair, suspicion, desperation, fear, strife, guilt, condemnation and anger. (just to name a few) The "dis-ease" of these warring spirits in the mind leads some to try to discipline or medicate these evils away. Some may try outward methods of soothing these ills such as allowing their souls to drink in the passing lusts and whims of the world: engorging themselves on physical pleasures often leading to addictions. Others will try to cure their inner woes by feeding on the "knowledge" of the world, to puff their ego up with intellect, (foolishness - 1 Corinthians 3:19) and self-made importance (pride). It's all "good" as long as they can find someone to worship the ground they walk on.
All of these methods ultimately fail to cure the "dis-ease" (as the only cure is Christ) and instead lead to a person who cannot simply just be; they must always be doing something. They cannot simply have, but must always have more. Sin becomes the master of their members and left without restraint, eventually no immorality will be too corrupt for them to try in hopes of escaping the battlefield of their mind. Eventually they will become so depraved, so blinded to their own "virtues," that they will call good, evil and evil, good to the detriment of their souls. As such, they are as zombies, oblivious to their condition, feeding on the sin of this world until either their eyes are opened to The Truth and they accept Christ, or they reject Truth and sin consumes them. (Romans 1:28-32)
The one who chooses to feed their soul and spirit the things of God can expect to have a life filled with His power, His agape, and soundness of mind (1 Timothy 1:7) Also peace that passes understanding. (Philippians 4:6-8) Their spirit is nourished by hearing and understanding God's Word while their soul is nourished by obeying Him and reaping the blessings that come from obedience.
Now this is not to say that Christians are immune to the warring spirits mentioned above that are not of God; we live in a world where those spirits reign and they will always try to invade our peace. The remedy for us however, is where the difference lies. Rather than using worldly methods (sin) in hopes of alleviating the "dis-ease" that has crept into our spirit, if we submit ourselves to God, they will flee before they ever manifest in our soul. (James 4:7)
Submitting to God by reading His Word always restores the peace and joy to my soul and spirit just as completely and quickly as that creek water revived my physical body. When those ill spirits creep into my mind, they serve as a warning signal that I have overdosed on the "junk food" of the world. It really doesn't take much for that to happen. The longer I walk with God, get to know His ways and see Him working behind the scenes in my life, the more I'm aware that this world is not my home. I can hardly watch the news without feeling revolted, frustrated, angry or hopeless by the utter depravity I see. And that's when I know I need to get back to the things of God - and fast - before the joy and peace that come from my salvation depart and I find that my soul wants to hurt someone and my spirit feels entitled to do so. Psalm 37 is a GREAT place to refresh.
Submitting to God when the spirit starts to be overcome with "dis-ease" is something we MUST teach our children to do as well. If we do not, they will turn to sin to self-medicate. Just as I can tell when my spirit is overloaded trying to endure this world, I can also tell when theirs is. It usually begins as moodiness in a child who is generally in good spirits. Suddenly, they are angry and cannot tell me why. Or they now know everything and God help me if I try to correct that child. Left undisciplined, this "moodiness" will manifest in action and the next thing I know, I'm breaking up two kids who cannot keep their hands to themselves. Now, I can discipline them (and I do) but that doesn't wholly solve the problem which is that their souls and spirits need a remedy that only comes from God.
My children all claim to believe in Jesus but I know that this profession is only the first step in a real life-changing relationship with Him leading to eternal life. James 2:19-20 says that even demons believe in God, and tremble, yet they still carry on doing the devil's work. Belief is not enough. There must be faithfulness or they will fall away from their faith and that faithfulness MUST be taught because it opposes the human nature we are all born with.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Train is imperative. In order for this promise to be fulfilled, one must teach and the other must learns about a commonality; in this instance, to hear and obey God. This scripture does not say let your church's youth pastor train them while you do whatever you want, nor does it say throw them a Bible and hope they'll read it even when you don't. (I guarantee you, neither of those work.) They will do as you do, not as you say especially if your words are contrary to your actions. St. Frances of Assisi said, "Live the Gospel and use words when necessary." Actions speak louder than words.
I know I've done something that will stick with my kids when they ask me, "Mom, why did you do that?" and my answer has a Bible theme. They don't marvel at the worldly things I do, sin they understand well. They ask about that which they do not understand and I always thank God for the opportunities He gives me to do something they will take notice of that will plant some seeds in them. At the very least, it will give them something to think about. Ephesians 6:4 takes this "train" command a little farther: And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord.
I have found that when "strong discipline" is needed, the Bible works wonders but foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. The rod of correction will drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15a) Parents need to keep this in mind as they train their children to become faithful to God. If a child had their way, they'd eat nothing but junk food all day long and no loving parent would let that slide. Similarly, a child would never even think to pick up a Bible when life isn't going their way. That concept is about as foreign to them as needing to eat healthy foods yet both must be insisted on if a child is to be wholly nourished.
A child's reaction to submitting to God might be similar to my kids trying some new healthy food; griping and groaning ensue and they start out about as receptive as mud. I don't let this deter me just as I never stopped leading my horse to water. Even though it took her forever to actually take a drink, I never gave up trying because I knew she needed it even if she was clueless (or obstinate). What I learned from her was that she just needed me to show her it was okay and children are no different. They need to see that God's Word is wholly nourishing to you and powerfully working good in you and through you vs. poisoning you and those around you. The best way for this to occur is by you reading and digesting the portion of God's Word you are about to present to them first and then feed them one little tiny morsel at a time until they are full. When I do this, the nourishment penetrates and the "dis-ease" flees. I see night and day difference in a matter of 10-20 minutes. The negative attitudes vanish, kids become happier, more thankful and even more helpful. The nourishment doesn't vanish immediately either. It carries them for days and if I faithfully find a lesson for them each week, my job as a disciplinarian is much easier to bear. My hope is that just as they are beginning to see the benefits of better foods to nourish their bodies, their eyes will be opened to the benefits God's nourishment for their souls and spirits and they will begin to crave it over sin.
I cannot end this post without mentioning "The Encounter." Netflix added this movie to it's on demand line-up a couple weeks back. I read the description and figured I'd give it a try. If the film's "Jesus" didn't line up with the Bible's Jesus, I'd turn it off. I didn't know at the time it was made by the same people who made "Fireproof." Had I known that, I wouldn't have worried at all. As with all Christian films where the motivation is to save souls vs. to make a billion dollars, it is a low budget film and in places it is obvious. However, that said, I was glued and glad I previewed it without children so that I could let the tears run free. It truly felt like an encounter with Jesus in man form, as close as we'll ever get while living on Earth anyway. It was very Biblically accurate and will leave you with plenty to think through. I don't want to give a lot away but it was packed with scripture, truth, hard questions answered, love, hate, lost, found, heaven, hell, Jesus and the devil. After I finished it, I was filled with the joy of my Salvation and whatever ills wearing on my spirit that day were completely washed away. I knew I needed to share it with my kids.
There certainly aren't many nourishing TV shows on these days and the rare show that actually teaches the Bible does not hold their attention long. I knew they'd like this though. It met their criteria of "creepy" and entertaining and my criteria of Biblically accurate. I didn't tell them what it was about because I wanted them to react to it as it played out instead of react to it with whatever spirit was currently dominating their thought life. I only told them that it was "creepy" and it does start out looking creepy. "Creepy" caught their interest immediately, of course! I watched it with the girls first, and then again with Daniel. Everyone came away refreshed, nourished and filled with joy. This is one movie I do not believe a person could ever tire of seeing. I highly recommend it as a tool for teaching as well as a nutritive to the soul and spirit; there is so much to chew on, digest, and wholly nourish.
Jesus calls to all saying, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners." (Isaiah 61:1) "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:9-11)
