Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)
Continued from part 3

When we feast on the unhealthy, we become unhealthy. As we’ve seen in the previous articles, we should do whatever we can to make healthier food choices and strive to keep our emotional and spiritual appetites balanced. However, when we fail to feast on Jesus Christ and all His provisions of heaven (“treasures in heaven,” Matthew 6:20), we do not thrive—we hunger. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus fills us. We must remember that taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit (our body, soul, and spirit) is necessary to be in complete obedience to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Balancing Act

Eating foods that are bad for you physically may not necessarily be sinful, but its effect on our physical health can have lasting consequences. For example, eating meat is not sinful, but indulging on it to the exclusion of other nourishing foods will have negative effects upon the body. Eating Snickers candy bars is not sinful, but there are consequences upon the body because it is not a nourishing food. Being a strict vegan can lead to nutritional undernourishment, and this is not healthy either. Balance is a good word here, but it is not always easy to find. We need good coaching to help us identify this balance and a willingness to exchange the unhealthy for the healthy.

Why is it so essential to find this balance? Various diseases, including heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, nutrition deficiencies, and degenerative disease, are caused by poor food choices. The same principle holds true for emotional and spiritual things that are not wholesome and nourishing. Wear and tear from poor choices in life can result in sickness of mind and spirit, which can include serious emotional diseases, depression, and anxiety.

God wants us to pursue peace and holy living (2 Timothy 2:22). This is the main remedy for all the things that may upset our body, mind, and spirit.
See part 5

Recommended Books:

A collection of fantastic reading material on various important topics, used and shared by Pastor Mark Driscoll. Find out more.