Nourish your soul.

Why is it that when we’re sick we crave sugar? It’s strange that when our bodies most desperately need nourishment, we’re most likely to reach for a quick pick-me-up.

And that’s just it, right? We crave sugar because we’re tired and we feel lousy and sugar is the quickest “high,” the fastest way to feel (temporarily) better.

But, of course, then there’s the crash. We always feel worse afterward. While everything God created is good in moderation, refined sugar is notorious for its addictive quality and destructive effect on our bodies.

But it feels so good at the time.

What we really need, though, is nourishment, not a quick high. We need bone broth, loads of hot (unsweetened!) liquids and, of course, rest.

Our souls are the same.

Lately I have been struck by how critical it is that we nourish our souls. That we feed our spirits. It is when we’re “sick” spiritually, when we’re feeling low or discouraged or even physically run-down that we reach for whatever gives us that quick “high.” We reach for twaddle or turn on triviality. We are strangely energized by reading  or watching people rant. Drama gives us a little rush.

But it really doesn’t nourish our spirits. We desperately need the bone broth of truth, of life-giving spiritual nourishment. Recently I had a cold so I curled up on the couch to finish Robby Dawkins’ Do What Jesus Did. I knew the Father was urging me to physical rest, and I knew my heart needed it too. Once I had cared for my babes and my man, I nestled under a quilt and sipped up some life-giving, soul-nourishing, no-nonsense, Jesus-exalting truth.

Completely void of hype, drama, or finger-pointing rants, this book just urges us gently back to do what Jesus did. Sadly, we’ve flippantly put “health & wealth” together because they rhyme (?) and sloppily stuck it all together under the term “Prosperity Gospel.”

But Jesus didn’t do that. He healed every person who came to Him for healing. He sent exactly ZERO of them away. He was always urging people to give away their wealth, but He granted them healing whenever they came to Him in need. He brought deliverance to every person who was oppressed by the devil. All of His commissions to the disciples and the 72 includes preaching the gospel and healing the sick. This WAS evangelism. It is impossible to miss this in the gospels.

He sozo‘d (saved) people left and right by bringing forgiveness of sins, healing to their bodies, deliverance for their souls, and showering them with such life-changing love that they were compelled to leave all and follow Him.

The love of Christ compels us! The love of God is so much more than we can comprehend! His love empowers us to move beyond our limits, our comforts, our control, our cynicism and hopelessness, His love is all we so desperately need and this love will lead us to do things beyond our wildest imagination.

Please, if you ever come across a book that is, essentially, Do What I Do, put it down. It’s sugar for your spirit. I have been convicted by how often I write things that are just that. What we most need is to feed our hearts and souls and spirits with the bone broth of Who God is. What is He like? What did He do? What is His heart? This truth will strengthen us long after the sugar-high has left.

Please, Nourish your spirit. Or, as God’s Word says,

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Prov. 4:23

May we nourish our spirits this week with the truth of who God is! He is life to our souls! Thank you for reading.