Just a Thought: What I Eat & the Road to Joy

Your words were found and I ate them; and, your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.

Jeremiah 15:16

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (extravagantly, fully)…

Colossians 3:16

God’s words. A delight. A joy! The Prophet Jeremiah ate them. The Apostle Paul filled himself up on them. Both men consumed God’s words. Devoured them. Both found their joy-tanks overflowing…superfluously (isn’t that just a GREAT WORD?). They lived their lives with more than enough joy. That’s what I’m after. More than enough! I’m joy-greedy.

Keep in mind that Jeremiah is the one who wrote Lamentations. He was a prophet of doom. Yet this prophet of sorrow still found joy in the midst of the darkness. Paul, too. Paul writes a lot about joy; even from a prison cell, and in the midst of persecution, he was rich in joy. These men, role models in joy, share with us their secret. It had to do with what they ate!

I have a love/hate relationship with eating. Right now, I’m in the middle of a diet. I’ve incorporated some guardrails in my life that I pay attention to on a regular basis. I’m not fixed on numbers, as in I don’t want them to define me, but I am attempting to stay as healthy as possible. So, if the numbers go under “X” amount, I am very aware that’s too little (gotta say, I haven’t ever worried about the “X” numbers - I’m not one of those). If the numbers go over “Y” amount, that’s too much. I’m better off if I live in the green zone somewhere between X and Y. However, following holidays, wonderful company from December forward, board meeting weekend, and traveling (such a killer), I am over the “Y” by about 8 pound. Yuck. So, I’m working on getting back to the green. I’ve learned over the years what works for me. Basically, it has to do with caloric intake and the amount I burn (what I eat and how much I exercise). Fairly simple and straightforward. When it comes to what I eat, some things are better options than others. Fruit and Greek Yogurt not Dairy Queen Freezes. Lean protein not pizza. Salads not sandwiches. I still need calories, for energy; I just need to watch what calories and in what amounts. This isn’t a blog about dieting, it’s a blog driven on a discovery of joy. However, as in dieting, some things are better choices when it comes to filling up our minds. That would be God’s words. The beauty of eating God’s words is that we can consume to our hearts content, and never, eat too much. Additionally, the best part, no matter how much we eat, we can’t really over-do, because it simply means more joy. For someone who is being restrictive in regards to food, this resonates with me. Wahoo, something with no limits!

Jesus encouraged this kind of joy-eating:

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:11).

These things! What things? The things He’s spoken to us! What’s the result? The joy of Jesus filling me. Want full joy? Make a stop at a banquet that’s going to fill you superfluously full. Just know that if I’m already there, I may not share!** I think Jesus would be OK with this “greedy.” So, eat to your hearts content, as will I!