Not because I was scared, not because I felt bad, but because I simply in that moment didn’t want to contribute to the possibility of getting cancer someday. As I left the store, I realized that this is the first time I’ve been leaning one way on a food issue, and upon a small nudge from the Holy Spirit, changed my mind simply because of what He told me.

What a strange feeling to be able to abandon something you want so quickly because He asks you to. In that moment, the will of Anthony Stauffer ceased to exist, and all I wanted was to do what He asked of me, regardless of how I felt about it. My desires would be to do what He required.

As soon as I reached the stairwell in my building, the spell was broken and I immediately went back to being impatient, and edgy as I followed someone up the stairs at a forth of my normal speed. But for a brief instant, I had a glimpse of how Jesus approached life. Simple obedience to the one He loved.

Once I was honest about the fact that I felt that way, I began to see a very disturbing reality.  If I continue down this path of a sedentary lifestyle, eating whatever I feel like, it will kill me.  I’ll die of cancer, heart disease, or heart attack.  And if none of those manage to get me, the last 20 years of my life will be miserable.  This is not a "worst case scenario", this is what happens every day to people.  And it has nothing to do with not having faith in God.

I heard someone say one time "You can’t get spiritual deliverance while breaking natural laws".  I fully believe that God can and will heal us of any disease or condition.  He can also prevent diseases that will result from generational curses.  But not all diseases are brought on by sin.  One of the principles of this natural world He created, is the fact that our temple will develop all kinds of problems if we do not take care of it.

No amount of faith will keep me from getting obese if I eat, and eat, and eat, but not exercise.  It follows that no amount of faith will keep me from getting heart disease if I keep eating fatty, greasy, fried foods my entire life.  This is not because God is punishing me, this is a natural law at work.  Bad Food + No Exercise = Heart Attack/Cancer/Heart Disease. God can heal any disease that afflicts us.  But God is not some magic Santa Clause that keeps my arteries from clogging if I eat deep fried cheese every night.

I realize now that everything is not going to be alright.  If I don’t change, I will live a miserable life when my body starts to break down.  For me to live an active life up until the time he takes me home, I must take care of my health now and stop looking at each meal as an insignificant piece in a puzzle that will just magically get put together for me.

I know this could sound like I’m heading back "under the law" again, but think about this.  Who do you think revealed this truth to me?  Realizing the consequences of our lifestyle is something the Holy Spirit can reveal to us in a way that we’ve tried to ignore for years.  And he is the only one that can change my heart towards a healthy lifestyle change. This isn’t about living a certain way so we can "earn" our health.  Healthy people die every day in many sad ways.  The real issue is whether we’re open to the fact that our health is interactive.  Will I allow the Holy Spirit to give me a fresh perspective on broccoli? 

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.  When you start realizing how connected God is with the most practical parts of your life, don’t be surprised what starts to change about you.