I have been baking gluten-free, sugar-free Pumpkin Chocolate-chip muffins for my daughter today (using dates in the place of sugar and sugar-free chocolate-chips). Naturally, I have been thinking about nutrition.
We all know that nuts and seeds are very nutritious. We all know that we need to be including nuts and seeds in our diet if we desire to be physically healthy.
Here you can see the nuts and seeds I enjoy. Cashews (which I love because they remind me of my Grandpa and how he once tried to buy a handful of cashews from a candy counter for a quarter. He thought a handful would be enough to share between me and him. But a quarter only wound up buying 2 or 3 cashews. It was pretty funny! The lady working the candy counter got a good laugh!)
Also almonds, pecans, roasted pumpkin seeds (from the pumpkins we grew in the garden). And I think all-natural peanut butter counts as well.
While we all know we need to be including nuts and seeds as part of a healthy diet … what happens if we focus exclusively on eating nuts? Answer: our digestive plumbing gets “clogged.”
By the same token … we all know that whole grains and legumes are very nutritious. We all know that we need to be including whole grains and legumes in our diet if we desire to be physically healthy.
Here you can see the whole grains and legumes I enjoy. Pictured are three different kinds of lentils. You can see Pearl Barley and Wild Rice. Also pictured is brown rice, purple/black rice, and Red winter wheat berries.
While we all know we need to be including whole grains and legumes as part of a healthy diet … what happens if we focus exclusively on eating whole grains and legumes? Answer: our digestive plumbing “faucet” runs.
Nuts and seeds are healthy and nutritious … but they need to be consumed as part of a balanced diet.
Whole grains and legumes are healthy and nutritious … but they need to be consumed as part of a balanced diet.
The key is balance.
If we want to be kind to our digestive system, we will consume nuts and seeds in balance. If we want to be kind to our digestive system, we will consume whole grains and legumes in balance.
Today’s blog title is – Love is kind. Just like kindness is important for our digestive system, so also, in the same way kindness is every bit as important when it comes to our “spiritual diet” … and the body of Christ – the Church.
Some Christians and churches choose to have a “spiritual diet” focusing exclusively on the Sovereignty of God and Doctrine. For sure this is spiritually healthy. It is very healthy for our souls to know that God is sovereign over all! It is good for our souls to know doctrine.
However, this “spiritual diet” is very similar to having a diet focused exclusively on eating nuts and seeds. Yes, nutritionally healthy. But the result of this “spiritual diet” is that hearts get “clogged.” There is not much love or kindness. Spiritually, there is “constipation” of the soul.
By the same token, other Christians and churches choose to have a “spiritual diet” focusing exclusively on the Love of God and Grace. For sure this is spiritually healthy. It is very healthy for our souls to know that God loves us! After all, I’m doing a whole series of blog posts on Love. It is good for our souls to be reminded of God’s grace for us.
But this “spiritual diet” is very similar to having a diet focused exclusively on eating whole grains and legumes. Yes, nutritionally healthy. But the result of this “spiritual diet” is that the “faucet leaks.” There is such an overemphasis on God’s love and kindness, that this leads to spiritual “diarrhea.”
The key is balance.
The Sovereignty of God and Doctrine are spiritually nutritious … but they need to be part of a spiritually balanced diet.
God’s Love and Grace are spiritually nutritious … but they need to be part of a spiritually balanced diet.
If we want to have kindness in our own soul, and towards our fellow Christians around us, we will hold Sovereignty and Doctrine in balance … while at the same time holding Love and Grace in balance.
When it comes to diet, there are some downright unhealthy things which if we consume them will eventually destroy us. We all know the things which are nutritionally damaging to our bodies and our health. Yet, many of us consume them anyway.
The sugar in the chocolate and the candy is just sooo good!
The donuts are just sooo good! All that bad artery-clogging fat doesn’t really matter does it?
etc. etc. etc. …
It is kindness to remove these things from our diet. It is kindness to our own health. And it is kindness to those around us … for, by removing these things from our diet, we no longer keep them stored in our pantry at home anymore. And therefore, the health of our family is greatly improved as well. This indeed is kindness.
In the same way, it is kindness to remove from our life those things which will spiritually destroy us. It is kindness to our own spiritual maturity and growth. It is kindness to our relationship with Christ. Furthermore, it is kindness to those around us. The sins in our life do indeed have an impact on those around us.
The Apostle Paul was being very kind to the Christians in Corinth when he called out their sexual immorality as being harmful. Sexual sin will destroy! Get rid of it. Calling out and warning of the danger of sin is indeed kindness. Love is kind.
Likewise, Paul called out their proclivity to arguing, fighting, and quarreling. This was kindness. This was very loving. These things were spiritually damaging to the people individually in their own personal spiritual growth, but also this was damaging corporately to the Church as a whole.
In the same way, it is kindness to recognize and get rid of sin in our life which will destroy us. These sinful things not only damage our own personal spiritual growth, they damage our relationship with God … and they also damage our relationships with others around us.
Love is kind.
Love is the kindness to call out what is damaging to spiritual health. Love is also the kindness to have balance when it comes to spiritual health.
Love is kind.
