We’re eating out more. Not that I mind cooking, I don’t. But the busy schedule makes it easier to pick something up instead. My favorite? Healthy fast food—unlike the burger my son could eat seven days a week.

Spiritually, we often eat the same way. It’s easy to get hooked on a steady diet of devotionals. Nothing wrong with devotionals, but if that’s all you’re eating, spiritual growth will be limited, and you won’t grow strong and healthy.

So try some spiritual meal planning:

Protein: Protein staves off hunger and builds strong muscle, and Scripture is spiritual protein. You don’t need sixteen ounces at a time. Small portions throughout the day will keep you fueled and will optimize your spiritual growth. Compare different versions for added insight, say NIV and The Message.

Carbs: Carbs give us energy and the more complex they are, the better. Simple sugars provide a quick rush. Complex carbs and whole grains fuel over the long haul and keep blood sugar from spiking. Likewise, worship and prayer are indispensable for spiritual growth. They keep us connected to God morning, noon, and night, and provide power to fend off the enemy when he pokes his ugly head into our day. And they’re good to-go foods too. Granted, we want some sit-at-the-table time with both prayer and worship, but they’re great for eating on the run. Keep worship playlists handy and trying keeping specific prayer needs on your phone.

Fruits and Veggies: You knew we would get to these. However, they don’t have to be yucky. Fruits and vegetables offer unique flavors and textures other foods don’t as well as nutritional elements like vitamins and minerals. Spiritual disciplines do the same for spiritual growth. Disciplines like meditation, fasting, and simplicity add variety to our spiritual diet and boost our essential elements. I’m currently working through Spiritual Classics edited by Richard Foster. This book provides creative ways to practice the disciplines in very time-friendly manner. Check my Amazon site for a copy.

Healthy snacks: Devotionals are great for snacks—before work, at breaks, pre-workout. Some of my favorites are Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest and Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling.

Fats and Sweets: Healthy fats like those in olive oil and avocados are necessary for a balanced diet too. And God created honey and chocolate for a reason. Both round out our diet, but both must be monitored and kept in check. Christian books, both fiction and nonfiction, supplement a healthy diet beautifully. Novels (C. S. Lewis and J.R. R. Tolkien), biographies (Corrie ten Boom’s Tramp for the Lord or Eric Metaxas’s books on Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce), or books on Christian living (Swindoll to Bro. Lawrence) can encourage us in our walk.

A healthy diet doesn’t require hours in the kitchen or fancy dishes. Many elements can be eaten on the run. Experiment and find your favorites, but keep your diet balanced.

Questions:

What does your time with God look like?

Are you heavy in one thing but light in others?

How can you have a more balanced diet spiritually?

Family Application:

Discuss the need for a healthy diet—physically and spiritually. What happens when one area gets a lot of attention while another is left out?

Do some spiritual meal planning. How can you fit different elements—Bible reading, prayer, worship, Scripture memorization, spiritual disciplines—into the weekly schedule?

Tweetables:

It’s easy to get hooked on a steady diet of devotionals. Click To Tweet
Try some spiritual meal planning. Click To Tweet
Scripture is spiritual protein. Click To Tweet
Worship and prayer are indispensable. And they are to-go food as well. Click To Tweet
Disciplines like meditation, fasting, and simplicity add variety to our spiritual diet and boost our essential elements. Click To Tweet