what goes into the body

Jesus tells us about what is good and bad for us today in our reading from the One Year Bible. The selection is from Mark 7:1-23. He tells us that it's not what goes into our bodies, meaning food, that defiles us... in other words, that's bad. It's what comes out of us - from our hearts - that is good or evil.

But that brings us to a good point about life in general. There is another verse in 1 Corinthians that says that all things are permissable, but not everything is beneficial. And that applies to food, right? We don't have any dietary laws prohibiting us from eating pork or camels anymore. But not everything we eat is good for us. God doesn't forbid us from eating any certain foods. But if we eat two whole pizzas for every meal, our bodies are not going to be happy. While we're permitted to eat anything, God has also given us minds and wisdom to decide to prolong our lives and our enjoyment by eating healthy foods.

And when we apply that thinking to life in general, we come to something rather like the verse from 1 Corinthians. Certainly, we are told that murder, lust, greed, wrath, sloth, etc are bad. But it really means that they're bad FOR US. Living a holy life is like eating healthy food. It's the best way to ensure that our lives are full of joy and longevity. Of course, this is true in general. There are exceptions to the rule - we still might get hit by a car, or get a disease, or get shot at a country music concert. But the RULE is that eating healthy helps us live longer and be happier. And the rule is also that living a holy life helps us live a long, happy life as well.

God doesn't prohibit things to be a killjoy. He prohibits them from keeping US from killing our own joy.

God, thank You for helping us see that food and life have alot in common.