I consider myself to have a fairly healthy lifestyle and make an effort each day to make good choices in my diet, exercise, and intake of information. Do I do it perfectly? Absolutely not! For instance, sometimes I choose to eat something that is not a regular part of my diet, because I don’t want to become rigid or legalistic in my food choices. I hesitate to even give specific examples because each of us may be at a different place in our journey, and this is not meant to bring shame or “my way is the best” to anyone. As adults who live in a prosperous nation, most of us can choose what we eat as a regular part of our diet. Convenience may play a part in what you select. So can certain foods which we choose to eat because we like them – a lot – even if we know they are not the best for a healthy lifestyle.  Sometimes we are not aware of what makes up a healthy diet because that has never been emphasized in our homes growing up or with the people who share our space now. If you are aware that you need to make some changes in this area, you can do it gradually and ask the Lord to help you.

This can also be true in other areas, like exercise. Most every day, I am doing certain things that are helping me to stay mobile and heart healthy. Again, I don’t need to be specific about my particular choices because you may not like to do those things or be physically able to do them. There is a lot of information for you to explore if that is something that is important to you. I want to be in the best possible condition for my age and have determined to make this a part of my daily routine.

What I would like to focus on is the third area I mentioned. Every day, each one of us is partaking in information. Most of us have certain routines that include reading and/or listening to numerous sources of information on a variety of topics and interests. We may have certain sources we trust for the news we listen to. Many of us have favorite people whom we trust that we like to read or listen to for their insights and understanding.

Those of us who read and study our Bible may have certain courses, programs, or routines that we do fairly consistently. Over the years, I have tried numerous things for myself. I admire those who have consistently disciplined themselves, for instance, to read through the Bible each year by following a certain plan. For some of us, that may be a little too structured or rigid, but for others, it is the best way for their lifestyle. I have had seasons where I read more than at other seasons, when I may be more focused on a particular theme and find myself using other resources from trusted sources to help me get deeper insight and understanding.

We are living in a day and time where there is far more information available to us than any of us has time to process. The opportunity to get sidetracked or even deceived is probably higher now than at any other time in history because of the easy access to information right at our fingertips. You don’t even have to have an expensive phone anymore – the inexpensive smartphone can do most of what the pricey name-brand phones do! The young man I help, who is somewhat mentally challenged, can get around the internet better than I most of the time. He has access to everything I do, and he has one of the cheaper smartphones on the market.

One of the newer phenomena is AI – artificial intelligence. I don’t know or understand enough about it to speak pro or con about the benefits vs. the dangers, so I just want to make one comment. Some of the things I have watched were seemingly real and believable, and then I would find out later were not. It makes me cautious about believing everything I see or hear on the internet. What I am certain about is that the Word of God is true and totally reliable, and if the Spirit of God lives in you, then He can lead you into all truth. Getting your information second-hand from another source, no matter how much you trust them, is not the best. Cultivating a personal relationship with The Source of all Truth is the best way to ensure that you will not be deceived.

Having relationships with other believers who also know Him and have a love for Truth is most important. We need each other.  I have a handful of friends who love the Word of God and with whom I have done life, some for many years. I trust the Lord to speak to me through them. Cultivating healthy relationships with a few people who have a mature walk with the Lord is very important.

Any of us can have areas in our lives that I call “blind spots.” I was recently dealing with a relationship where I think both of us saw some things very differently. I highly honor and respect this very gifted individual, but we had several areas where we saw things very differently. I asked several close friends of mine to give me their perspective based on their relationship with me. They did not know this other person at all. I wanted to know if I had a blind spot (or two) in the areas where there was a difference of perspective. These friends know me well and know I want to walk in truth and the light, so I felt like they would tell me if these areas were blind spots for me. I am so grateful to have a few trusted friends who will tell me what they perceive to be the truth.

So, where are you on the journey of living a healthy lifestyle? All of us probably have areas where we could improve. I think the challenge for many is, do we want to change? Are we willing to deny ourselves or discipline ourselves so that we can live out our lives in the fullest way possible? I know that even though our time here on this earth has some limitations, many of us are living far below the healthy life the Lord paid such a terrible price for. We will bring more glory to Him when we are living our lives to the fullest!