Heart Attack - It's All About What You Eat

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spritual songs,singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

If someone has a heart attack and survives, they know that they must make some drastic changes in the way they eat.  They have to cut out more fat, more sugars, and some carbs and eat meat and vegetables with a few fruit and whole grains.  To keep our hearts healthy so that we don't have a heart attack, we need to use that same formula. 

To keep our spiritual heart healthy we must be about "eating" the right foods as well - God's word.  Listen to Paul in Hebrews 5:14-15.  He is admonishing them because they are not growing.  They are not growing because they are not "eating" daily from God's word and have begun following false doctrine.  Here is what he says, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, but he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

Throughout the Bible, God's word is referred to as meat, bread, milk, and water.  Input equals output.  That is an old principle, but it still holds true.  Let's look back at Colossians 3:16 from the first of this blog.  The word of Christ (which is truth and the sum of the whole word of God) must dwell within us.  It dwells within us when we input it by reading, listening, discussing, practicing, and trusting the words of the Bible.  Notice that when it dwells within us we have wisdom.  Jesus is wisdom personified.  We have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16). James says to ask for wisdom and God will grant it to us. (James 1:5)  Wisodm comes from God. When we dwell in the word, we gain understanding and instruction which are the ingredients for wisdom.  Colossians goes on to say that by having the word dwelling within us we will have the wisdom to admonish one another.  This is not critical judgment of disapproval, but rather loving confrontation of sin that the other might grow in Christ.  Then with songs of praise and thankfulness we are to draw near to God. ("Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Psalm 100:4)

This is the key to a healthy heart.  In the presence of God through His word and in praise and thanksgiving, we will be transformed. (Romans 12:2)  And in His presence there is joy and health.

A healthy spiritual heart will also bring physical wellness.  Look at Proverbs 3:1 and 8. (My son, do not forget my teaching, But let the  your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you...It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.")  God heals through His word and through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Eat well.  Stay healthy.

Hint for the Day: Moms, trying to change the whole diet of your family at once is never a good idea.  Introduce new foods one at at time, eliminating the bad along the way.  Our core rule when the boys were young was to have at least 2 "living" foods at every meal.  This could be raw vegetables instead of chips, fruit with breakfast, and cooked vegetables with dinner.  Snacks can be fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, or peanut butter on whole grain bread.  Raisins are a good pick me up as well.