We are bombarded with messages about hunger…starving children…subscription boxes with food…controlling hunger…eating healthy…eating junk…and on and on. No one wants to be hungry.

Watching people in the mall, in airports, on the sidewalk, we see all shapes and sizes. Some are fit and trim working out and eating well. Others are overweight or just out of shape. What we put in our mouth feeds our body. We either do a good job or a poor job.

We have our garden for the sole purpose of eating well. I wanted to be certain we ate food that didn’t have pesticides used on it…or that was genetically modified…and was organically grown. I didn’t want antibiotics or steroids in our meat. It was important to me to feed my family REAL food.

When I see all the food advertisements, I cringe. Food is processed to the point it has little nutritional value. Some “food” is not really natural food but something that is food-like. Our bodies can process it but it does not nourish or feed our body. We are still hungry and eating more. Never truly satisfied. Such a vicious, harmful cycle.

I do not mean to “food shame” anyone. We have our moments! Just have to eat that doughnut or candy. We are not perfect! But a steady diet of fast food and sugar is unhealthy. Soon a person’s health fails.

How true this is in our spiritual life. When we put God’s Word into our hearts, when we think on good, wholesome things, our spirits are healthy. When we cram our heart and head with ungodly things our spirits shrivel up and die.

Humans have physical hunger but they have spiritual hunger too. We live in such a rush, we just don’t think. We don’t pay attention and we ingest food, physical and spiritual to soothe the hunger. Many times, this “food” is not food at all but just a momentary “quick fix”. Many times, it’s downright harmful.

I fail every day. But, my hope is we can all be more attentive to what we allow ourselves to eat and be exposed to in this world. I want to be spiritually fit and spiritually strong. I want that for all of us. To accomplish this goal, we must pay attention. The Bible tells us to “guard our hearts.”

Let’s encourage one another and pray for one another. To guard our hearts in today’s world is a big job.