What Are You Feeding On?

By Carol L. Doyel –

I heard a saying once that I found to be quite provocative and true as I pondered the statement, “we hunger for what we feed on”. The idea is the more we feed on a particular thing, the more we hunger for it. Our appetite is based on what we ingest on a regular basis. If we feed on the things of the world we will hunger for more of the world.

In Matthew 5:6, it says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” There is nothing that can satisfy us like the Lord. But as long as we’re feeding on a diet of the world we will hunger and thirst for more, and more, and more. We will never be satisfied, and discontent will set in, which can lead to sin which when fully conceived leads to death.

The idea of what we feed our mind, body and soul as well as our spirit, is one that is or should be of grave concern for us as women of faith. If we continue to eat the things the world is serving up we will indeed hunger for more of the things of the world. What do I mean by the things of the world? Anything that feeds the flesh that is not meant for those who are called to be holy, as all of us who are hidden in Christ are called to be (1 Peter 1:15; Matthew 5:48; Ephesians 1:4).

In Colossians 3:3-5 it lists things that we should be completely dead to:

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

We need to do a regular check-up to examine the things in our lives that may be feeding the “old man” versus the new man/woman in Christ. What are you “eating” that is feeding the old nature, the desires of the flesh instead of the spirit?

It may take time for our appetites to change, but over time if we continue to seek God and His righteousness first we will see more fruit of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-discipline (Galatians 5:22-23).

I’m not suggesting that we cannot partake in earthly things that we enjoy, but as we delight more in God he gives us the desires of our heart. God knows our love language and takes joy in giving us the desires of our heart. It’s not about denying the things that bring you joy. God knows what’s good for us and as we draw closer to Him our heart desires will line up with His. As we turn our eyes upon Jesus the things of the world will become strangely dim, as the Hillsong “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” – worship song declares:

I don’t know what God may be calling you to give up or lay aside, but I know when I begin to hunger for certain things more than God, or I become obsessed with anything – even something that may seem good that throws me out-of-balance, I know I need to stop QUICKLY and draw near to God.

I’ve listed a few things that are red-flags and in some instances are downright dangerous for us as believers and women of God:

Anything in excess – Food, alcohol, or even too much of a good thing taken to an extreme is not good for us.

Programing, books, material that are worldly – I know Christian women who are feeding on magazines and publications filled with gossip, or shows depicting people and lifestyles of people who we should not want to emulate – The rich and famous that can lead to covetousness or obsession.

Too much idol time, or time spent on meaningless activities that do not bring good fruit – Are you sitting in front of the TV watching shows that can open you up to unholy thoughts or ideas? We should be selective and intentional about the movies, programs and shows we watch – or the websites we visit. Again, I’m not suggesting that we should feel guilty for enjoying an entertaining show, or going to a movie or play. The danger is when it becomes a pattern of feeding on content that God has shown us “personally” is not acceptable.

How many hours a day do we spend in prayer, talking with the Lord versus talking with others about our problems, concerns, struggles? If you’re spending more time talking, posting or texting than “taking it to God” then you may find yourself confused because everyone will have a slightly different answer or solution. Only God can give us the answers we need based on our circumstances – It’s about a personal relationship versus a religious formula.

Get off the phone, stop texting others about your woes, lay down the tablet or iPad, and tell your papa about your troubles…cry out to Him and he will answer you. People can only give you food that they’ve tasted, not that we can’t glean and receive from others, but if we want a spiritual diet designed just for us, we need to go to God. That is the only way we can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), from a personal experience.

Lastly, what are you feasting your eyes on? You’ve probably heard the term “eye-candy”, looking at things that are visually pleasing. Some things can spark creative ideas and gifts within you, which is wonderful. I’m a big advocate of using visualization for inspiration, but we need to make sure that we’re not doing it to the extent that we become discontent and miss the beauty right before our eyes. Take time to feast on the beauty around you – step outside and go for a walk in a park, or for a hike in the woods, along a river, observing the birds, the trees, the wild flowers, or along a beach and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. The best eye candy I have found for the soul is creation.

We can be fooled into thinking that the things of the world can satisfy us, but the world falls grossly short of meeting our greatest and deepest desires. Below is a devotion and scripture that describes one of the things we all long for more of in our lives that was shared in an email from Christian Women in Media Assoc. (CWIMA) a couple of weeks ago:

“Child, I created you for joy. You can’t live without it. You seek for it, crave it, pursue it, try to manufacture it. Like your body can’t live without water, your spirit can’t live without joy. I designed you this way so that you would finally turn to Me as your only joy. My indwelling presence is the only way to joy. Turn away from other things and look only to Me. ‘All my springs of joy are in you’. (Psalm 87:7 NASB).”

If you faithfully feed on the bread of life, the Word of God, and the living water – God the Father, God the son and the Holy Spirit, you too shall experience more joy, unspeakable joy!

Carol Doyel is Editor-in-Chief and Founder of LivingBetter50.com. She is a graduate of The Full Gospel Bible Institute and has a passion for women’s ministries, issues and lives. She and her husband of 26+ years have three grown kids and four grandchildren. They currently reside in southern CA. Her desire is to inspire women to live better physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.