Recently, I have been on a quest to learn more about vitamins.  Everyone knows how important it is for us to receive our daily allowance of vitamins.  Vitamins help our bodies function better.  They help boost the activity of our cells, our organs, our immune system, and our overall energy supply.  Needless to say, there are many benefits when we take vitamins and/or a multi-vitamin on a daily basis.

Now, having vitamins in your cabinet is great, but in order for you to get the benefits of vitamins, they need to be ingested.  They need to make their way into our bloodstream in order for our bodies to receive the “nutrients” they provide. When we are functioning better internally, it shows externally.  The glow on our faces.  Shiny hair and strong nails.  Healthy, strong muscles that are working at a better capacity.  And a more efficient metabolism, are just a few of the benefits.

But vitamins are a curious thing, because when you take one kind of vitamin, sometimes taking a different vitamin helps with the absorption of another key vitamin.  For our bodies to work at maximum capacity, absorption of what is “received” or “taken in” is key.

I thought about this on a spiritual level.  We receive and take in the Word of God in SO MANY different ways.  We receive it at church.  We receive it during our quiet times in the Word.  We receive it when we are listening for God’s voice on our knees, waiting to hear from Him.  We receive it when we are driving in our cars listening to worship songs.  And in this day and age, we receive it through social media … through Twitter and Facebook. We see scripture posts, picture quotes, or blogs.  So the availability of spiritual vitamins (if you will) is EVERYWHERE.  Reception comes easily. But absorption is key.

We move beyond reception of God’s Word, to absorption when we allow His precepts to get into our spiritual bloodstream.  And when they do, it changes us both internally and externally.   It can be seen in the way we live out our faith.  When our faith is strengthened internally by the absorption of the Word of God in its several different facets (however it comes into our bodies, our temple) there is outward evidence of our spiritual health.

A healthy spiritual life can be ours when we receive AND absorb the great precepts/teachings God is putting before us.  The question for us is this: What are we doing with all this external good we are taking in?  God’s principles and teachings are for OUR good. For OUR benefit and nourishment.

For EVERY living thing, nourishment is the key to life. We know, too, that malnourishment is not what our bodies were designed for.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul encourages young Timothy (1 Timothy 4:6) to stay true to the teachings of Christ so that he can be a worthy servant of Jesus – one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching that he has followed.  We are nourished by the message of faith.   But knowing about it, and applying it are two different things. The real benefit comes from following the teachings, not just receiving them.  Life check: How do you apply the teachings of God’s Word in your life? Answering this is a great place to start evaluating where you are.

1 Peter 2:2 tells us to cry out for spiritual nourishment so that we grow into a full experience of salvation. (NLT)  Receiving God’s Word is great, but allowing it to penetrate deep into our spirits is best.  A consistent regiment of  taking in, and living out God’s principles in our lives is where spiritual health lies. Stay healthy, friends.

Love & Blessings!

-Cindy