Nourishing the spirit

Everybody knows and complains about hospital food, but when I have had to go into hospital I always found it to be reasonable, until my last stay.

Let me tell you the story of “nourishing soup.”

Nourishing soup

Recently I went into hospital for surgery. The menu one night had an item called “nourishing soup,” and I thought that sounds pretty good, so I ordered it.

When the “soup” came it looked OK but tasting it was a shock.

I don’t know how it is possible for someone to cook soup and manage to remove every gram of taste, flavour and nourishment, but they managed it at that hospital. I can’t even say it tasted foul, because there was no taste. It didn’t even taste like warm water! There was just…nothing!

To call it “nourishing soup” was in my mind a culinary crime!

The next night they had chicken and vegetable soup, so I thought that would be a winner. But it turned out to be more “nourishing soup” with a few lumps of boiled, tasteless chicken floating in it like flotsam and jetsam.

You are what you eat

When we receive the right food and drink we are nourished and built up. We become strong and healthy.

But if we eat food that has no nutrients and no beneficial effects for the body, then we become weak, sick and unhealthy. We suffer needlessly and may even die. You need only consider some of the diseases caused by poor nutrition, such as, rickets, scurvy and gout to see how this can occur.

Then there are the problems caused by junk food that is high in fat and calories, but has virtually no nutritional value. Again, sickness, disease and obesity are in store for those who live on a diet of junk food.

Effects of poor spiritual food

Jesus commissioned Peter to “feed my sheep,” and “feed my lambs.” He was not talking about physical food but the spiritual food of the teachings of Christ that nourishes the spirits of men.

Sad to say, some sectors of the church serve up the spiritual equivalent of “nourishing soup.” What they teach has no spiritual benefit. Their words are empty platitudes designed to make people feel good, but give no guidance or direction to help them to grow.

Then there are those who feed their flock spiritual “junk food,” which are half-truths, lies and teachings of men rather than the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Again, this does not promote growth, maturity and stability, but Christians become spiritually stunted and open to every form of spiritual attack from the devil, who seeks their destruction.

Those who preach and teach in these ways are not following the commission of Jesus to “feed my sheep,” but are following their own desires for their own ends.

Is this new?

This is not a new phenomenon for we see this issue spoken of in the bible many times, especially with regard to false teachers and false prophets.

"Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things which all perish as they are used), according to human precepts and doctrines? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigour of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh.”( Colossians chapter 2, verses 21- 23)

There are people today promoting various teachings that have the appearance of being “religious,” but add no value to individuals.

Again we see the words of Jesus who berated the lawyers for their failure to provide the teachings of life to the people.

“Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”(Luke chapter 11, verse 52)

These lawyers were the keepers of the law of God along with the scribes and Pharisees. How were they taking away the key of knowledge? By twisting the words of the law and seeking loopholes to interpret the law in ways that were never intended. Effectively they preached “junk food.”

And again;

"About this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God's word. You need milk, not solid food; for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child." (Hebrews chapter 5, verses 11-13)

We must seek Christ and the “solid food” of His words. Seek nourishment of the spirit that leads to growth, maturity and life in Jesus Christ. Reject false teaching and false teachers who preach worthless “nourishing soup” and “junk food.”

After all, you are what you “eat.”

Since retiring from work, John Lemmon now spends his time teaching, preaching and writing about the word of God, online and offline, answering God's call on him to “Speak to my people.” You can connect with John on Twitter (@JohnBLemmon) or on his website: freegiftfromgod.com/ or listen to his podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-free-gift-from-god-podcast/id1440682375