Isn't Fruit Healthy

One day, while driving to school, my 7-year-old asked from the backseat, “Isn’t fruit healthy? “Yeah, it is”, I responded. “Then why couldn’t eve eat it?”.

Ok, let’s just start the day with a super deep theological conversation. I’ve got about 4 minutes in the car rider line to try to explain obedience and spiritual wisdom my kid before he tackles his day of various trials and tribulations. Let me tell you momma, this is why we pray for God to prepare us for these conversations with our kids, because the Holy Spirit was with me for sure that morning. My quick answer was something like this: “Well buddy, sometimes what we think is good for us, may not actually be good for us, and we must obey God because He can see the big picture of our lives, He knows what we need and what we don’t need and we have to trust that even though we think something is good, if God says it’s not for us, we have to trust that He is doing what is best for us. It’s the same way with mommy and daddy, we do what we do and say what we say to keep you safe and protected because we know what is best for you and you just have to trust us.” What a beautiful and humbling reminder to trust that God knows what is good for me. Even things that seem “good for me” may not be.

I could feel the Holy Spirit bouncing off the walls of my heart like a pin ball machine. I was reading later, the story of Mary and Martha. I have a whole blog post on this as well that you can read more about here:

Are You Martha or Mary Blog

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV).

I’ve read this story multiple times; however, after my conversation with my son I saw it in a new light. Martha was “distracted with much serving”. I think we can all agree that serving is a “good” thing. We are called to serve. Jesus came to serve.

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-18 ESV).

Even “good things” can be distracting. How distracting was that fruit to eve? Enough so that she questioned God’s plan. Enough so that she believed the lie of the enemy. Enough so that she thought she could make the best decision or her life instead of trusting that God knew better. “So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6 ESV).

So let this be a reminder for you to pray for spiritual discernment and wisdom, like it was for me momma. Let it be a reminder to pray for spiritual wisdom for your kids and husband.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9-14) ESV.

Not everything that looks “good for us” actually is. That’s why we must trust that God’s plan is good. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us this truth, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (ESV).

Something to think about: What is something in your life that might seem like a “good” thing but is distracting you from Jesus?

Prayer: Father, open my eyes and my heart to see what you see. Show me areas of my life that I think are good but may need to be reevaluated. Show me what is distracting me from fully obeying you and serving others. I pray that me and my spouse and my children will grow in spiritual wisdom and knowledge so we can walk in a manner worthy of you.