You Are What You Eat
You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” Simply defined, it means that you should eat healthy if you want to be healthy. This phrase can trace its roots back to the early 1800’s. It came from the 1826 work The Physiology of Taste, in which French author Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” If the phrase were to be taken literally, I would be considered mostly chicken wings and spaghetti. Fortunately, this is not the case, but there is something to be said for the relationship between consumption and identity. The prophet Ezekiel recorded this regarding the vision given to him by the Lord in Ezekiel 2:8-3:3:
“Only take care, son of man, that you don’t rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.” When I looked he had his hand stretched out to me, and in the hand a book, a scroll. He unrolled the scroll. On both sides, front and back, were written lamentations and mourning and doom. He told me, “Son of man, eat what you see. EAT THIS BOOK. Then go and speak to the family of Israel.” As I opened my mouth, he gave me the scroll to eat, saying, “Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!” So I ate it. It tasted so good—just like honey.”
Like Ezekiel, we have been given a powerful message from the Lord to share with our people. The only way that we will fulfill our responsibility to “go into all the world” is if we first consume God’s Word, if we “eat this book.” Do you read your Bible? Do you read you Bible every day? Do you consume it? Do you digest it, think about it, and allow it to affect you on the most fundamental levels of life? If not, start this week. After all, you are what you eat!