Zechariah is a book in the bible that talks to God's people about remaining faithful. It speaks about purity and restoration. In order to accomplish restoration, purity is necessary. Think on that.
The world sends out loaded messages constantly, and we are constantly consuming it. It's a bit like being fed a diet of cake, chocolate and chips. Image, diet, health... self-management, self-improvement, self-determination... sex, money, power. It's all about the here and now, me and the pursuit of pleasure for pleasure's sake.
The Word of God gives out different messages that are also loaded. But God's messages are more like a diet of meat, veg and fruit that tell us the choices we make here on earth have eternal consequences. It's saying we need to feed ourselves on what sustains, builds up and restores with whole, pure foods.
The fruit of God's Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
Love is patient and kind, not jealous or boastful, proud or rude, it doesn't demand it's own way, isn't irritable and doesn't hold grudges. It isn't glad about injustices but is glad when the truth wins out. Love never gives up, is always faith-filled and hope-full, and endures through all circumstances. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
We have a choice. What are we choosing to eat more of? The Word that purifies, heals, builds up, upholds the value and cause of others, cherishes truth above all, and can speak into every vacuum and belief-style we'd like to follow, or the world that strips wholeness from our spiritual diet and says anything going is good, please yourself at all costs, and don't rock the boat?
If we're eating too much from the world and not enough from God's Word we will become spiritually flaccid and we won't reach goals of strength and wellness that we crave. No muscle mass. Do we really need to be lean? Feasting on what might taste good in the minute does our heart no good. Restoration of the body is produced by pure foods. It's the same with the spirit. A bit of a conundrum, huh? We become fat in the spirit by consuming what is healthy.
This year, let's pay attention to our spiritual diet - as well as our physical.
Restoration is about completeness. Wholeness. In order to have that, we need to start with a stripping away of what is unhealthy and stifling. Purity is in order. Seeking after what is truly good.
Psalm 119:133
Direct my footsteps according to your Word; let no sin rule over me.
Choose to become fat on the Word of God and lean on the world's messages. Faithfulness, dedication and purity will lead to restoration.
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