Brain Stuff

Pastor said Sunday that we stuff our brains with too much fat. What a provocative thought for the modern day person to contemplate. With what am I stuffing my brain?

We like to eat fat--not in its pure form--but in our consumption of meat, French fries, mayonnaise, and the buttery spread we slather on our toast. We like it camouflaged so we do not see how much we are eating and will not feel guilty about sabotaging our diets and our health. Pleasure and enjoyment are our motivation.

A nutritionist will tell you that fat is an important part of our diets. What matters is the amount of fat consumed and the type of fat consumed. To be healthy we must be mindful of the fats we eat.

Like we should monitor the fat in our diets, we need to take a second look at what we put into our brains. With what do we saturate our brains? Is it healthy emotionally and spiritually? Or do we allow or minds to devour that which is unhealthy like we saturate our physical bodies with unhealthy fat?

I am not talking about just what we read or what we watch on television. We saturate our brains with thoughts of wanting things, irritation when things do not go our way, with anger at a family member or friend, with desires to get even, with envy, with schemes to gain the upper hand, with lust, with … The list is long and ugly.

“He went on: ‘It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness —all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.’" Mark 7:20-22 THE MESSAGE

So with what should we saturate your minds?

“…let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 1 Thessalonians 5:8b NIV

So I have to admit, I am guilty of allowing unhealthy “fat” into my mind. What am I to do?

“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:18 THE MESSAGE

Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, give me the wisdom to recognize the “brain fat” I consume. Give me the power to live a healthy spiritual and emotional life glorifying you.