You are what you eat is a phrase that is often used when describing the impact of physical foods on the human body. It conjures an image in your mind of what your look like when you eat certain foods. I agree with this saying because what you indulge in will determine your overall health whether for the better of for the worse. Now as this saying applies to the physical foods we eat, it also applies a great deal to the non-physical things that we eat such as music, imageries and so forth.
Our thoughts and views of the world around us is shaped by the information that we hear and when you hear certain news that promote a certain view, your mind will be conformed to that same view. You might think that your views are independent of outside input, but in reality our views; our perspectives are influenced by the things around us. So the same way we are influenced in the physical is the same way we are influenced when it comes to spiritual matters.
I think the most impressionable are the Words that have been spoken to us about us. Whether these words were intentional or said in passing, they have affected us. When we hear something long enough, we may begin to believe it to be true when in fact it may be far from it. Growing up in an environment where all you all that is being mirrored before you is negativity and toxicity, it’s only a matter of time before you begin to see yourself in that light and this is especially true with our view of the gospel.
Many of us may have grown up in christian homes where bible stories were told to us either by our parents or by Sunday school teachers and these stories shaped our view of God. Some of us never really read the Bible in detail and took these stories at face value. If you were blessed enough where sound biblical doctrine was taught to you, you may have turned out fine, but if you were not so fortunate and the ones telling these stories were telling them from their own interpretation of what they think the Bible is saying as opposed to what the Bible was really saying, then we have a problem. That problem is evident today in the number of false doctrines that is being taught as gospel and the people who are falling prey to them.
This is all the more reason why it is paramount that what we “eat” of the gospel is the Truth of the gospel. Not a mixture by man, but the pure unadulterated Word of God. The Word of God is able to shape and form us into the image of Christ, which is the image that is True. Romans 12:2 which is one of my favorite verses of the Bible addressed this head on. It says “Do not conform to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the acceptable, good, and perfect Will of God”. The Will of God is that we should become like him and anything that doesn’t subscribe to this, we should reject. We may be in this world, but we are not of this World. When we gave our lives to Christ we became “members of the household of God” Ephesians 3: 19. We have been adopted as Children of God as we embark on the journey of resembling our Father.
The Word of God equips us to become who we are called to be in Christ. Which is why our understanding of the Word must be biblically accurate. When the world tries to give us a false narrative of who we are, we are to tell the world who we are by the Word; we identify with Christ as sons. We must confess this truth daily over our lives until we believe them to be our reality.
What I struggled with the most as a growing Christian, was believing that the Word of God was true to me. I could believe it for others, but for some reason, I couldn’t believe it for me because I never saw myself in the light that God saw me and I know that there are a lot of people in this category. I had a false sense of identity so much so that when the God of the Universe said I am beloved, I couldn’t accept it. When the Maker of the heavens and earth said that everything He made was good, including me, I couldn’t accept it, because all I saw were the flaws that were highlighted by the lies of this world.
Why was it so? I was “eating” things that were contrary to what was said about me. I took these fallacies to be my reality and oh did I suffer for it. I lost time and opportunities because I never saw myself worthy. This is what we stand to loose when we don’t conform to the Image of Christ but rather to the image of the world. The world has nothing good to offer and it will strip us of our royalty if we let it. The world cannot create anything good, it can only distort and destroy.
However, in order for us to be transformed into the will of God, we must daily eat the word. We must nourish our minds and spirit on the reality of God’s word. As we eat, we must daily confess it so that the ears of our spirit hears it. Romans 10:17 says “ Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”. The faith to believe that what God says about you is true is created by the hearing of the Word of God. You eat it and hear it enough and you will believe its Truth. If anything dares try to say contrary, with the well of Truth that is stored inside you, through the imbibing of God’s word, you can rise and counter it because you believe the Word of God for you over anything else.
Contend with every false narrative that has been said over your life. Anything that is contrary to what is written in God’s word is false and must be vehemently rejected. Counter it with the Truth. Confess this Truth over and over until your view of your self is shaped by it. That is when you will know that faith has taken over. When your life begins to conform to the Truth of the Word. It is a daily fight, but it is one that has already been won for you on the cross of calvary. What you need to do is enforce its manifestation in your life. Even when your life does’t yet align with the Truth of God’s word, continue to confess it because you believe it to be True. This is the victory of the believer, Walking in the Truth of God’s word.
Don’t be timid. Arise and speak into existence who you are in Christ. When you do, some might think it’s pride that you think so highly of yourself, but if your Father in heaven thinks so, who are you to believe otherwise. You are your Father’s child.
