Healthy Spiritual Diet

I digress.

I may do more than one book report on each book I'm reading. :) Because.

Proverbs 15:14 msg

An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;

fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

Spiritual Food Laws to live by:

1. Keep it colorful. Don't overload on only one choice of nourishment (one speaker, one author, one musician). We are surrounded by multitudes who are equipped to nourish us for the building up of the kingdom. Listen to your children. God often speaks through them. Humble yourself and acquire a taste for the different reflections of Christ's character in all His children.

2. A secret isn't a secret. Walk in the light where there is fellowship, freedom and peace. Be real about your struggles. If you can't go to church to get free, where can you go? When you bring your struggles into the light, you can see them for what they are.

3. Look past it. How often do we fix our minds and our focus on our worries and miss the bigger picture? We need to acknowledge our problems but not fixate on them. Remind yourself if God can create the world in six days, He can solve your problems without much effort.

4. Remember the metabolic rule. If we go too long without "eating' our spiritual metabolism will slow down and we will begin to lose our taste for the things of God. If our fellowship is weak, we will be weak and we will have little strength to stand on when the storms hit. Feed your soul regularly throughout the day.

5. Do "eat" at night. Its wonderful to end your day with a little soul nourishment. It is good to proclaim His love in the morning and His faithfulness at night (Psalm 92:2).

6. Practice partial fasts. What has a hold on you? Whenever you deprive yourself of something that you're selfish about having, it will be difficult at first. The fact that there is a response at all is more reason to press through and get victory over this thing that has a hold on you. And it doesn't have to be food related.

7. Listen. Really listen. Let the words nourish you. Words from friends, children, radio.

8. Guard your heart. Keep your heart a sacred place -- don't let weeds of bitterness and discontentment sprout up. Trials are God's way of working to purify hearts, renew minds, and strengthen resolve to love. Love and guard your heart and keep it a sweet and fresh place.

9. Take responsibility for your spiritual health. It is not your pastor's job or your husband's job or your friend's job to make sure you stay on track.

10. Use your strength. When you feel strong in the Lord, use that strength to take extra ground. In other words, pray longer, serve lovingly, and listen more. If God has given you a special time of favor, it isn't just for your health. It is because He has something more for you to do and He trusts you to do it. If you feel weak and fragile, hang on to this verse in Isaiah 42:3. When you are weak, hang on. When you are strong, take extra ground.

11. Join a bible study. Powerful things happen when women come together for the purpose of fellowship and spiritual growth.

12. Carve out your quiet time. If your day does not impart a spare moment, pray for some. It is is God's will for you to spend time together. He will answer your prayer.

These were the points in Chapter 11, A Healthy Spiritual Diet, in Balance That Works When Life Doesn't by Susie Larson.