Soul Cravings

Working out is hard. Working out consistently is even harder. Eating a well-balanced diet is hard. And being thoughtful and consistent about it is even harder. 

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join Farrell's; since it was something I have always been interested in, I jumped at it even though I have never taken a class at a gym and (let's be honest) rarely ever visited a gym even when I had complimentary memberships. But this post isn't really about working out or eating well. I have gone through this whole "get back on the horse" thing before and blogged about it, too. The one thing I consistently find whenever I try to adopt a healthier lifestyle is that our bodies are connected to our souls. For some reason, God designed us so that the needs of our outer person directly correlate to the needs of the very core of us (and I'm not talking about your abs).

As a part of this 10-week class I am taking, I had the chance to visit a local grocery store and attend a guided tour with a certified dietician. It was pretty straightforward, and I felt like I was hearing facts I already knew about or that were pretty intuitive. One question that really struck me, however, was, "Why do we so often reach for sugary or fatty foods?" One person replied that those foods are generally easy; another chuckled that they taste good. I couldn't help but blurt out:

"Because we teach our bodies what to crave."

I may choose crackers over carrot sticks or mashed potatoes over salad, but is it because I don't like raw carrots or I'm not head-over-heels about salad? Or is it simply because I gravitate towards foods that satisfy my immediate cravings for salt or sugar without thinking about what will really satisfy me and keep me full? Do I consider what will make me happy next week or only in this very moment? As I reintroduce healthy eating habits into my life, I am reminding my body that, as Sesame Street so aptly put, "We need vegetables always, but cookies are for sometimes." I am training my mind to enjoy the natural sweetness and savoriness of the foods around me, while still enjoying the occasional splurge here and there.

And so, just as we feed our bodies, we are daily feeding our souls. Many of us have days, weeks, or even years where we are couch-potato Christians, aimlessly munching on spiritual tidbits here and there mixed in with unhealthy doses of over-processed information from the world streaming into our senses. Instead of actively taking responsibility for our growth, we limp along thinking we're doing alright. What we don't realize is that our souls are starving. We are living in a fast-food, grab-and-go society, where we have taught our minds to crave information in short, colorful bursts.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. … Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me:  I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

I love this Psalm of David. He had so many people pressed around him pressuring him to make decisions in the midst of very present danger, but he knew that whatever plans the Lord had for him were far better than his own. And he was content to wait for God's answers in God's time. He was able to wait patiently because he regularly came to God, learned His Word, and sought His will. Just as I sometimes need to examine my life and establish better patterns of eating and exercise, I need to regularly examine my heart to see what patterns God wants me to put on … and what patterns He wants me to "put off." Matthew 15 puts it this way:

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand:  it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” … And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.

It is so, so important for us to take care of the earthly bodies that God has given us. But how we handle our hearts will have an effect on eternity. "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Proverbs 4:23, NLT). My soul will crave what I teach it to crave. Sometimes that will be facebook or Netflix or a fiction book. By God's grace I can identify the unhealthy "soul junk food" in my life and be reminded to feast on the Bread and drink of the Living Water. I can run to God like a weary animal runs to a stream and find my true heart's longing there.

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