Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! I’m your host BJ Sipe – I’m a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. In this podcast we take everyday, ordinary events and explore how they can teach us extraordinary, eternal truths. I’m so glad that you joined me for this episode. Now, let’s open up our minds, our hearts, and our Bible’s together.
A few weeks ago, a big part of our family all got together for a late Christmas in La Grange, Kentucky. This was at my Uncle Rick & Aunt Carlene’s home, along with all of my cousins and their families. It was chaotic to say the least, but an absolute blast. Well, while we were there, I looked over on the counter and saw the biggest water bottle I have ever seen in my entire life. It was a gallon sized water bottle that belonged to one of my cousins, and along the side it had time indicators & levels as to how much water you should drink by each point in the day in order to drink an entire gallon of water a day. At first I thought to myself, that is absolutely crazy! I would never be able to drink a gallon of water in one day. But when I got home, I started doing some research on the benefits of doing so – and that’s when I made a commitment to give it a try. I am currently on day 4, and I am happy to say that I have been able to reach my goal every day! While I don’t have a gallon sized water bottle, I’m refilling a 24 ounce bottle 6 times a day to hit just over the gallon volume goal. I’ve got to say, even though I’m only on day 4, I’m already starting to see some of the benefits – though I know most of them will come in time. You see, most people (myself included for most of my life) don’t drink nearly enough water each day. People fill up on soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, or alcoholic beverages. Not to even begin speaking of all the bad effects of these types of drinks on the body, a lack of water leads to something that is commonly referred to as “chronic dehydration”. In this state, the entire body is strained because it is not receiving what it needs. It leaves people feeling sluggish, develop headaches, and can even lead to kidney stones or kidney disease because the body cannot flush out the necessary toxins. A lack of water has a negative impact on the condition of your skin, the quality of your sleep, and an increased craving for sugar & snacks. On the contrary, ensuring that your body is receiving plenty of water and staying hydrated comes with many wonderful benefits. For starters, our bodies are made of 60% water, and as such we were designed to be dependent on a steady intake of water for proper body functionality. It leads to more energy, better sleep, fewer headaches, less bloating, better eating habits, improved brain functionality and overall better performance. While there are many more benefits to drinking plenty of water, the sad reality is despite the fact that this is well known we still don’t drink water like we should. We would rather have what we crave than have what we need, which ends up actually hurting us in the long run. Soda tastes good in the moment, but you definitely pay for it later. Now please don’t hear what I’m not saying: I am not a doctor, nor am I here to regulate what you put into your body – and quite frankly none of the rest of you have a right to bind your own health practices upon others. I’m not suggesting you are wrong to drink soda or tea and such, I am merely making some observations about our own nature regarding this issue. We know what we need, and yet we don’t do it. We know the benefits, and yet we neglect it or don’t stick with it because we don’t see results as quickly as we’d like. We know the cost of the alternative, and yet we do it anyway. It makes no logical sense, and yet it’s what we do. We certainly are funny creatures, aren’t we?
Well, we’re not here to talk about water or guilt everyone into going out and purchasing a gallon sized water bottle for yourself, but we are here to talk about something else that we desperately need and yet neglect. Let’s go all the way back to Deuteronomy 8 together, as the Lord spoke to the children of Israel in vv. 1-3, “Carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to your ancestors. Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Every single one of us was created by God, and we were made in the image of God. As such, the way that we have been designed is dependent not on upon fulfilling our carnal cravings, but in filling our spiritual needs. We do not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God – this is where true life is found. Every day we should strive to be diligent in reading God’s Word, consistently going to him in prayer, and dwelling on that which is good, right, and true. When we are daily delving into the Word, we will be become complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we draw near to God in our heart & through prayer, he will draw near to us (James 4:7-8). When we dwell on what is good, right, and true, that is when God’s peace will truly be upon us (Philippians 4:8-9). We know these things, and we know our dependency upon God for life…and yet for most people, they neglect him anyways. Instead, we fill ourselves up with things that ultimately are not only bad for us but will destroy us. Ephesians 2:1-3 reads, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.” I think about myself and how this applies to my life. I think about how for so long I just gave myself over the cravings of my flesh. In the moment sin feels good, but you most certainly will reap the consequences later. When I neglected my spiritual health, I was miserable. It came with guilt, anger, lack of contentment, and ultimately produced death in me. It wasn’t until I finally came to my senses and submitted myself to Christ, and started filling myself up with him that my life really started to change. Suddenly I was filling myself with what I had needed all along, and slowly I started seeing the fruits of the Spirit come with it. I started producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control that I never had experienced before. My friends, if you are neglecting your spiritual health & your relationship with Jesus, you don’t know what you’re missing. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? In every single way. You were never designed to just fill your life with your temporary carnal cravings, because we are not merely physical beings. To satisfy your soul, you must nourish it with the Lord. If you know these things, what’s preventing you from doing it? Take action & give control over your life to Jesus today, and taste and see that the Lord is good!
Thank you for tuning in to today’s episode, and I would invite you back Tuesdays-Fridays for a brand-new episode each day. If you haven’t already, be sure to find us on Facebook for occasional announcements and special video sessions. If you have benefited from this podcast, please if you’re able be sure to share it with someone else that you think could benefit from it as well. Until next time, know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each & every day set our minds above.