By Jessica Brodie

Have you ever eaten a bunch of junk food and felt miserable afterwards? Just one fast food meal often makes me feel sick.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the nutrients we put in our body and the toxins we sometimes consume, often without knowing we’re doing so. There’s a difference in how I feel after I eat lean protein, fresh vegetables, and organic foods versus processed carbohydrates, even ones that are supposed to be healthy. I feel energized instead of sluggish, healthy instead of drained.

There have been times I thought I was treating my body the right way by eating what I thought was whole-grain bread, only to find it was really junk in disguise. It was still just as processed and ultimately nowhere near as nutritious as I thought, and it didn’t make me feel good.

But it’s not just our bodies that feel awful after we put junk into them. Our minds and our souls are impacted in the same way by what we consume. And it can make us incredibly sick spiritually and emotionally.

I remember in the past I spent a lot of time around toxic people who were not behaving in a godly manner. I enjoyed books, music, and movies that ultimately glorified the ways of the world. I let ideas simmer that pointed me down a wrong path.

When it comes to unhealthy eating, it eventually catches up to us. Perhaps we put on too much weight or we just feel like garbage.

It’s the same way with the unhealthy things that affect our minds and souls, only sometimes we don’t see it for a long time. The evidence is sometimes invisible… at least at first.

Then one day we realize we are mirroring people around us, longing for a life that’s a lie. We’re sick in the mind and the soul, and we don’t understand why.

It’s the same thing with us, whether that comes to our bodies, our minds, or our souls.

What nutrients are we missing in our life? Is it possible that we’ve been “eating” a lot of junk instead of nutrition, consuming worldly ideals that are poisoning our minds and our hearts?

That’s one of the reasons I’m a huge fan of reading the Bible every single day—it ensures I’m getting God’s word consistently. I’m feeding my soul with the Source, the word of the Lord, and fanning the flames of the Holy Spirit within me as I do. I’m putting on my battle armor to protect me from the world around me. Even if I don’t understand what I read, I can trust that the Lord tucks that wisdom into my heart, and eventually, he brings clarity.

As we’re told in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV).

And in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Consider today what “junk food” you might be consuming and what impact it’s having on your soul. What “nutrients” can you add to your daily life to stay healthy in the Lord, whether that’s reading the Bible or a devotional, or spending time in prayer?

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