When You Hear One Thousand Voices

Okay, so maybe it's not a thousand - but it certainly seems that way!  Who exactly are you to follow when so many are calling out?

One.

Only One.

Only His.  God's voice.

When I first began what I would call a health journey nearly three years ago it was for the sole purpose of restoring my husbands body.  It began with prayer and seeking the Lord and waiting and following His directions.  Over time I read more and more books, encountered dozens of different perspectives on health and what that entails, and began to realize that not only was my husbands health important but so was mine and so was my childrens.  Areas that used to be clear became fuzzy and blurred.  This one says to eat lots of fat, this one says to not eat pork, this one says that even rice is unhealthy, this one says it's okay to heat olive oil, this one says it's unhealthy to heat olive oil.  After a while my head was spinning and I have to admit that learning was becoming a chore and quite stressful!

I have recently realized that I need to go back to the beginning.  Back to that moment by my kitchen sink and put it all back into my Father's hands.  He knows me.  He knows my body and that of my family.  He made us after all!  It's time I once again asked Him for wisdom and discernment amidst all the different ideas and health advice. 

Ultimately I don't think that we were placed here for the sole purpose of being healthy.  God has used a lot of sick people on earth to do mighty things for eternity, and He has often used illness as a way to bring about change and spiritual healing in a persons life.  I do think that He wants us to be healthy and care for our bodies and not treat them with little care.  I would never feed my new baby a junk diet and I don't believe that God wants us to feed ourselves that way either.  But at the same time if it becomes my all consuming passion and all else is forsaken in my pursuit of the "perfect" health diet for us I think I am missing the mark.  I will never find the perfect health diet here on earth.  Perfection will only come in heaven (I can hardly wait!!!).  In heaven I will not have to question if the beef on my (wheat-free) bun was grain fed and mistreated, I will not have to eye those cherries and weigh the benefit of the fruit to the risks of the chemicals it contains. 

I recently read the passage in Matthew where Jesus says "Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or what you will wear", "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" in a totally new light.  I have been worrying about it.  I have been worrying about the food I'm eating and feeding my family.  I have been stressing about it and overwhelmed.  And it's time I once again placed it all at His feet and sought His righteousness first.  Sought His kingdom first.

So what should you do if you are needing to be healthier?  If you are unsure of whose advice to follow and what to feed your family?  I think that you should pray.  Pray and seek Him.  Our Father knows what we need.