Is The Holy Spirit Your Comforter?
As I go through the menopause journey there are many days that I feel incredibly down, and when I feel like that, the first thing I do is reach for comforting foods that taste real good and don’t offer much in the way of nutrition. As I was particularly down one day and munching on comfort foods the Holy Spirit spoke to me and this is what He said, “You are replacing the Holy Spirit as the source of your comfort. Comforting foods have become an idol in your life because you look to them ahead of Me”. As I pondered this I thought to myself, ‘Wow, He is right, I do use food as my source of comfort and I reach for this first, each and every time when I am feeling down’.
I believe that there are many things we can use as comfort ahead of the Holy Spirit and we need to learn to ‘first’ seek Him before we reach for anything else as the source of our comfort. At this time the Lord also revealed to me that I also had a mind-set that He wanted to break. He told me that He wanted me to look at food differently in order to break this mind-set. The mind-set was that I looked at food as a source of comfort and pleasure rather than as a source of health and nutrition. Although I make sure I do eat healthy foods, I know that my diet contains even more unhealthy food. From now on I was to look at my daily food intake and before I eat, ask myself this question, “Is it good for me’? In times past I always chose food that I wanted because it tasted good. God created food for health and for pleasure, but health should always be our number one priority in choosing the foods we eat. I now had to replace my old eating habits with these new ones. I had tried and tried in the past to eat healthier only to go back to my old unhealthy eating habits and I now realise that I was always using food as comfort and pleasure and not for health and nutrition. If the main diet of people is foods that are not filled with body-building nutrition then you will end up with a not so healthy body and health problems.
What then are unhealthy foods? According to the nutritional experts unhealthy foods are often high in fat, sugar, salt and chemicals and low in vitamins and other nutrients. These kinds of foods are processed, full of man-made chemicals and additives and laden with white sugar and trans-fats. They are known as junk foods and classed as treat foods. Our bodies are designed to need all food groups which are carbohydrates, fats, fibre, minerals, vitamins, water and protein so eating a balanced diet is what we should all be doing. It is all about learning about food and what it offers nutritionally to your body. I was also surprised to learn that things like cheese, butter, honey, eggs, cocoa and milk were considered as nutritious (as long as they are not over-eaten). I even learned that unrefined sugar in small amounts has some nutritious value to our bodies – even more so when used in home baked goods that contain other nutritious things like oats, bran, fruit and vegetables. This means that you don’t have to give up fat and sugar to eat healthily, as long as you don’t over consume them. I believe also that making most of your food your self is way better than buying things that are ready-made. Although they are convenient, in the long run they are not good for your bodies. Choosing whole foods also, is way better than processed or heavily refined foods.
I then asked God if that meant I could no longer eat any type of junk food. This is what I believe He spoke to me, “I am not asking you to give up treat foods – but you do need to eat less. Focus on nutrition – not pleasure. I want you to enjoy your food but look for nutritionally nourishing foods that you enjoy first. Needs versus wants. Eat what you need more than what you want. Changing your mind-set. Look at food as a means to health first – not pleasure. Putting health first when choosing food will change your mind-set. It does not mean you have to eat food you do not enjoy because I made food to be enjoyed. Changing your mind-set to focus first on nutrition means you will no longer rely on it for comfort. Plan your daily meals. It is about balance. Lean more toward nutrition. Currently your treat foods are more than your healthy foods. Flip it around. Eat more healthy foods and a small amount of treat foods every day. Don't deprive yourself as this is the worst thing to do. Aim to eat healthy food.”
The question, ‘Is it good for me’ I believe can be applied to almost anything you do in your life. Are you doing things that are not good for you? Are you looking to external sources for pleasure and comfort before going to the Holy Spirit as the source of your comfort? Are there things that you need to give up, or cut down on in your daily life that are not good for you?
As I was writing this I remembered how God once told me that I couldn’t receive my healing until I laid down my eating of the wrong foods. I had over the years tried and tried to change my eating habits where I would be great for a time only to again fail resorting back to eating unhealthy foods way too much. As I was pondering this and thinking ‘Oh my gosh, I keep failing at this no matter how much I want to do the right thing. What if I can’t do it?’ This is what I believe the Lord spoke, “Eating the right food is predominantly about eating the word of God as your source of food. Eat my flesh and drink My blood. It is about eating from Me and not from the world. I am the word of God. Eating My flesh is about digesting the word of God and living by those principles. When you eat from Me in all things you then thrive. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22, NKJV). Food was an idol. You sought it ahead of Me. You had to lay down that idol. My word says that I am a jealous God (Exodus 34:14, Nahum 1:2). I need for you to seek Me first in all things. Because you have repented I can now be the source of your comfort. How could I comfort you when you did not seek Me first as the source of your comfort. Time and time again you looked to food as the source of your comfort. Your own choices became a blockage to My comforting power. Instead of coming to Me you went to food. You laid down My comfort and entered into being comforted by your own worldly choices. Seek Me always as the source of your comfort. Come to Me first and foremost and I will help you – every time. Be patient in the waiting for I do not always answer straight away.”
What are we putting ahead of God? What are we using as comfort ahead of the Holy Spirit? Seek Him first in all things. Put God first so that those idols do not become a blockage in your life. It is time to lay down those idols!
(Prayer) – Father God in Jesus name I ask that You show me all things that I look to as comfort ahead of the Holy Spirit.” (Wait on God and write down what you are shown).
Father God in Jesus name I repent for all things I put ahead of You. I confess these things as idols in my life and lay them down. Help me to remove them from my life. I am sorry for all things I used as comfort rather than going to the Holy Spirit as my comforter. I ask You Holy Spirit to always remind me to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God first in my life. I ask You Lord Jesus through Your Holy Spirit that before I partake of anything that I first am reminded to ask myself ‘Is this good for me’? Help me to ‘look for’ and ‘seek after’ that which is good for me. Please reveal to me all things that are not good for me and help me to cut back on them, or in some cases completely give them up. Holy Spirit I come now to You as my comforter and ask for You to comfort me in all things. Thank You, In Jesus name, Amen.”
By Tania Francis