After recent surgery, I spent a week in a hospital room doing the recovery thing. Due to the site of my surgical procedure (the stomach), I was placed on a step-by-step diet plan. First came the clear liquids diet that I was on for several days. It featured jello, broths, and juices. Then came the full liquids diet (bring on the oatmeal!), followed by soft foods diet (pasta, cooked veggies), and finally the general diet (all foods!). Thank goodness I had to stay on the clear liquids diet for only 4 days—it simply wasn’t enough to sustain me.
The apostle Paul, jailed and likely being fed bread and water, wrote to the believers at Colosse about their spiritual diet. Though the apostle had not yet personally broken bread with them (Colossians 2:1), his heart was with them (Colossians 2:5). He knew the young church was being threatened by “well-crafted arguments” (Colossians 2:4) and “high- sounding nonsense” (Colossians 2:8) that could lead them away from the life-sustaining, nurturing truths of Jesus.
So Paul brought them back to the table and fed them a heaping portion of truth, helping them to “understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself” (Colossians 2:2).
The believers were passionately called to increase their spiritual diet in the following ways:
• Follow Jesus—having accepted Him as Lord (Colossians 2:6).
• Grow in your knowledge of Jesus and in your faith in Him (Colossians 2:7).
• Find your identity and life in Jesus—feasting on His message (Colossians 2:9-10).
It’s likely some of the world’s philosophies (Colossians 2:8) and values have messed with your spiritual diet. Instead of chewing on those empty spiritual calories, dig deep into Jesus and His reality today. “In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
By daily following and growing in Him, we will find true spiritual progress.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 40:1-38
More:
Read Hebrews 5:12 and consider its message as you examine the progress (or lack thereof) of your spiritual diet.
Next:
What will it take for you to progress in your spiritual diet—your following of Jesus and growth in Him? How can you overcome the things that are holding you back from spiritual maturity?
Geraint Davies on February 17, 2012 at 4:48 am
Jesus should be central to all we believe and do as Christians, I think it’s very sad and ultimately dangerous that even some of the pastors that preach from our pulpits have moved away from good old gospel preaching and have become sidetracked by an obsession with wealth, health, revival and so on. The good news of the gospel is life changing and Jesus is sufficient for all our needs.
tom felten on February 17, 2012 at 8:26 am
Geraint, your comments remind of what Paul stated, “We preach that Christ was crucified . . . Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
lindafrances on February 17, 2012 at 9:30 am
Geraint, I too am concerned when I hear the prosperity gospel being preached, as well as unscriptural ways people are taught they can attain heaven. I gently try to remind people that, all of Jesus disciples were in prison and or martyred for their belief in Christ. Today there are Christians in jail and suffering for their faith, as well as Christians who are extremely poor and living in terrible conditions, yet faithful and blessed because they understand they have something precious that money can’t buy. I think these are the strongest among us. We are called to have compassion and care for these people. All we can do is pray for those who are being mislead, especially the pastors who are not teaching the truth; that they find the truth of the gospel and preach the saving power of Jesus.
BearPair on February 20, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Tom, you’ve packed a lot of truth in this brief post. Wouldn’t it be something if we gave as much attention to our spiritual diet as we do our physical diet? Thanks!