inthespirit.r-l-w.net

What many people think of as Winston Churchill’s shortest speech was actually much longer than it is usually described as being. Much of the speech is frequently forgotten in light of the powerful simplicity of the well remembered fragment cited below:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Truly these words stand out. The simple repetition, instead of getting dull, increases the impact of the simple message– never give in.

These words have gained much fame among men, but in reality they only echo words God spoke to us long ago in the Bible in such passages as 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” and James 1:2-4,12 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. … Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

The wisdom of Churchill is appealing, but the wisdom of God is unfailing. Never give in. Continue resolutely in the work of the LORD.

We all know the old saying “you are what you eat” and in a number of ways it’s true. Eating nutritious food will make your body healthier and like it or not, eating junk food is bad for your body.

The same is true for your spirit. Everyday you eat spiritual food. While you may not realize it, the things you hear, see, and experience are spiritual food. Whatever goes into your mind is the food your spirit feeds on.

In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” and in Matthew 5:6 He says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” When you dwell on God’s word, you are eating good spiritual food.

Likewise Jesus also says in Matthew 6:23 “But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”. Here Jesus is not talking about physical disability. He is talking about what you see and how you see it. If you fill your eyes with darkness, that darkness will fill you or if you see things in a negative light, that negativity will fill you. When you allow things into your mind that are not in tune with God’s will, you are eating bad spiritual food.

Think about these things as you decide what television shows or movies you will watch, what music you will listen to, and what books you will read.