“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” — John 15:4 (ESV)

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When I was a high school tennis player, I used to regularly eat a footlong sandwich and a bag of potato chips, then consume a 24-ounce soda right before two or three hours of training.

My metabolism worked quite differently at 16 than it does now at 36, and my body was more equipped to manage that type of input. But as I got older, my body changed while my eating habits didn’t. I continued eating high amounts of unhealthy food — mindlessly snacking on foods and drinks that were dosed with salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats.

These foods and drinks leave us feeling full but provide little to no nutritional value. Yet, as a society they’ve become our preferred source of sustenance. More than half of the calories we consume come from ultraprocessed foods, which contain virtually no whole food content. Translation: What you’re often eating may not even be “real food.”

Though I was able to digest it when I was younger, it was in no way helping me become a better athlete. And anyone who strives to become a high-level athlete knows that what you put in your body is a crucial part of the entire process.

Strength training and cardio can be completely overridden by a poor diet, and that can negatively effect your performance on the field. It’s why college and professional teams have dietitians and nutrition specialists on staff. They know that the better the team’s collective diet is, the better their performance will be, and the likelihood of injuries decreases.

And just like malnourishment weakens the physical body, a poor spiritual diet weakens our soul. Yet, as Christians, we’ve allowed this approach to seep into how we structure our spiritual diet as well. We’ve sought convenience and ease in just about every aspect of our lives.

We make time for God when it’s convenient. We treat our relationship with Him no different than grabbing dinner at a drive-thru. It’s easy to do so because, in the digital age, we’re surrounded by easily accessible Christian content. It’s tempting to let the “verse of the day” notification from the Bible app or a couple clips of a sermon on social media count as our time in the Word. Frankly, I’m convicted about how much easier it is for me to quote lyrics to a worship song than it is to quote Bible verses.

There’s nothing wrong with Christian music, devotional books, sermon podcasts or reading books or articles. They’re often tools God uses to spark interest or momentum in getting in the Word, help us understand His Word, and remind us of truth. They’re healthy snacks, but they’re not the main course and shouldn’t be treated as such.

A life built on snacks and convenience, be it physical or spiritual, always leaves us short of being fully satisfied. For athletes, it means leaving improvement and production on the table. For Christians, it means missing out on some of the best things God offers us in this life.

And when we live on that kind of diet, we feel it. If we’re constantly filling our souls with noise, distractions, mindless entertainment or shallow relationships, we’ll break down spiritually and mentally. A strong faith is built by the slow practice of abiding and prayer. It takes time and intention and cannot be fast-tracked.

If you feel your physical or spiritual diet is out of line or lacking in some way, perhaps it’s time to recalibrate and make a plan to start eating — and abiding — well.

— Cole Claybourn

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