Signs of Life: Excretion and Nutrition
How do you know if something’s alive? How do you know if that living thing is healthy?
Whether it’s your own personal and spiritual health, or the life, health, and vitality of your church, how can you tell if you’re alive and kicking or just barely breathing?
Those are the basic questions we’ve been asking over the last few posts. And to help us with that assessment, we’ve been using “The Seven Signs of Life”.
We noted that in nature, all living things, both plants and animals, have these seven characteristics in common.
Movement: a shift in position or focus typically as a response to stimuli.
Respiration: the taking in of oxygen which results in a release of energy.
Sensitivity: the realization and response to environmental change.
Growth: an increase in size and maturity.
Reproduction: the passing on of the characteristics of an organism to the next generation.
Excretion: the elimination of excess or toxic material.
Nutrition: the taking in of nutrients which allows for health and growth.
With the Church being known as “the body of Christ,” it is more of an organism than an organization. And we are individually a part of that organism.
That being the case, these seven signs of life can provide a useful diagnostic tool for assessing the spiritual health of both the body at large and its individual parts.
So far, we have considered MOVEMENT, RESPIRATION, SENSITIVITY, GROWTH and REPRODUCTION. Today we’re going to conclude this series with a focus on EXCRETION and NUTRITION.
EXCRETION
“Okay,” some of you are thinking. “I can see how the other six biological processes can be applied to the discipleship process, but not excretion. That’s just gross!”
Well, you would be wrong.
Think about it. Excretion is the process of eliminating the waste and toxins that build up in the body. What will happen if you can’t get rid of them? What will happen if, say, your kidneys shut down and can’t filter the toxins in your bloodstream? Eventually, you’ll be poisoned to death.
The same thing is true spiritually. We must regularly flush out the spiritual toxins and waste that accumulate in life to maintain a healthy soul.
We see this important part of life highlighted in the proclamation Jesus made at the beginning of His ministry: “Repent and believe the Good News.” The Savior highlighted the fact that in the walk of faith there is to be a turning from as well as a turning to.
That turning from is called repentance. It’s key to coming into the Kingdom. But it’s also key to flourishing in the Kingdom.
Such repentance needs to be ongoing. Every heart builds up a collection of junk throughout the day that needs to be emptied in a sort of spiritual excretion.
If we do not get rid of such things as bitterness, jealousy, lust, pride, rage, hatred, and envy, these toxins will build up and sicken you not only spiritually but even physically. The only solution to this is confession and repentance.
This is why it’s so vital that you take a thorough spiritual inventory regularly. One way to do this is to apply Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me…”
As you quietly pray these words, allow for God to speak to you regarding any unaddressed toxic behavior or attitudes. And then eliminate them through confession and repentance.
However, it doesn’t end there. Not excreting what others have done to us through forgiveness is just as unhealthy as not getting rid of our own sins. Research has shown that unforgiveness can cause increased blood pressure, hormonal changes, and impaired brain function.
How are you doing with this sign of life? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10, with 1 having little to spiritual evaluation and excretion and 10 being regular spiritual evaluation and excretion (No 5’s allowed.)
And if you are not pleased with your number, how could you apply this to your regular routine?
Moreover, how is your church doing with this? Are opportunities given for corporate confession and repentance? Is there accumulated junk and toxins that need to be dealt with? Rate your church from 1-10. And if the number is low, how might that be addressed?
NUTRITION
Then there is NUTRITION. All living things must take in nutrients or they will die. The same principle applies to one’s spiritual life.
The Bible often speaks of the spiritual food we need. God’s Word has been called milk (1 Peter 2:2), meat (1 Corinthians 3:2) and bread (Deuteronomy 8:3; Job 23:12). The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight…” (Jeremiah 15:16).
Scripture’s use of food metaphors demonstrates the importance of ingesting God’s Word, of making it a part of us. We read the Word, but we then pause to “chew on it” a while, meditating and reflecting on the meaning and application of what we’ve read (see Psalm 1:1–3).
So how are you doing with your nutrition? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10, with 1 having little to no regular consuming of Scripture and 10 being consistent reading and meditating on Scripture. (No 5’s allowed.)
If your numbers indicate that you are on a starvation diet, why might that be? And what could you do about it?
And how about your church? Is the Word of God faithfully served up? And are there other opportunities offered that would allow for spiritual nutrition? Rate your church on a scale of 1-10.
If you find yourself disappointed in the rating, what steps could you take that would facilitate a discussion which might allow for spiritual nutrition to be increased?
I hope you found this series of weekly updates helpful and that you will apply them ongoingly. The great philosopher Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
I think he was on to something. As we regularly monitor our lives through these seven signs, we will not only experience spiritual health but we will also demonstrate it to a watching world.
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