I am sure most everybody is familiar with the Foster Farms television commercials, which have two chickens driving around in a beat-up old car that is filled with candy wrappers, chips, pizza, and junk food containers. They are trying to convince people that they are healthy Foster Farms chickens. Though you cannot determine if they have recently had chips and soda, it is plain to see that these are by no means healthy beings; rather they are scrawny, anemic, miserable specimens. They are products of an overall poor diet, and there is no concealing that on the outside.
Most of us cannot remember what we had for lunch the day before, or perhaps what we had for lunch today. Still, our general health is made up of the many meals we have long forgotten. If the overall majority of those meals are junk food, we will have bodies like those chickens. If it is a steady well-rounded diet, we will likely have healthy bodies.
The same principle applies to a spiritual diet. In many ways Christians can suffer from this same defect as the chickens, we try to present ourselves as being healthy, vibrant beings, when in actuality we are a mess. We are engaging in a spiritual diet of scraps and junk food, and still hoping to portray a healthy “coat of feathers.” Perhaps, it is neglect of reading the Bible, or “feasting” on questionable entertainment. Just like those chickens, we are not fooling anyone; our lives will reflect the improper diet we are ingesting.
That’s one of the reasons why we go to church, so we can “eat right.” We are able to rub shoulders with people who build us up, we are able to worship God, and we can hear His Word. We are able to thrive on a healthy diet. But many would say, “I can’t even remember what the preacher talked about last Sunday.” Truth is, many Pastors couldn’t tell you on Monday what they themselves preached on the day before. Still, the bottom line is, your life will reveal the steady diet you consume. If you hear the Word preached on a steady basis, you may not be able to cite chapter and verse, but every once in a while, you will remember a truth, or a passage in Scripture that relates to a situation you’re in. All those healthy morsels help to make you a healthy person. Guess what? You’re a healthy chicken.
God said, “My Word will not return void” (Isaiah 55:11). That means that when you take the time to read His Word, or listen to His Word preached, you will receive a blessing, you will be a healthier person because of it, able to glorify God. Don’t be fooled. Each time you invest in the Word of God, it takes root, even if it’s in small portions. It will become part of the make-up of your character. You will reflect this health to others in the way you speak, live, and act toward others. Unlike the chickens, you will not have to “fake it”; it will be obvious.
Get into your Bible; Feast on the Word of God and stay fit!
