{"id":9152,"date":"2025-11-04T13:54:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=9152"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:54:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:54:37","slug":"a-30-day-challenge-for-the-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=9152","title":{"rendered":"A 30-day challenge for the soul"},"content":{"rendered":"


By Jerry McGlothlin<\/span><\/span>, Op-ed contributor Sunday, November 02, 2025<\/span>iStock\/Marinela Malcheva<\/span><\/p>\n

People spend thousands of dollars on organic, natural, unprocessed food to keep their bodies in peak condition. Many carefully count calories, avoid additives, and take daily supplements \u2014 all in the name of health. That\u2019s wise stewardship of the body God gave us. But we are more than just flesh and bone. We have a soul and a spirit, both of which also require daily nourishment.<\/p>\n

Our souls \u2014 our thoughts, emotions, and intellect \u2014 are constantly consuming information. Every news story, social post, and conversation either uplifts or drains us. As Proverbs 23:7 reminds us, \u201cAs a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.\u201d The things we feed our minds and hearts shape who we become. If we consume anger, fear, and negativity, our souls will reflect that diet.<\/p>\n

Yet even more vital is the nourishment of our spirit \u2014 the eternal part of us that communes directly with God. Sadly, many people feed their bodies three times a day but starve their spirits for weeks. They rely on what might be called \u201cspiritual fast food\u201d\u2014a verse of the day, a quick podcast, or a song on the radio. Those things taste good for a moment, but they fade fast. Jesus warned of this imbalance when He said, \u201cMan shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God\u201d (Matthew 4:4).<\/p>\n

True spiritual health requires the slow, steady nourishment that comes from quality time in God\u2019s Word and His presence. Just as a healthy meal takes time to prepare and savor, so does spiritual growth. Psalm 1 paints a vivid picture of the blessed person who \u201cdelights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.\u201d Such a person is \u201clike a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.\u201d That\u2019s not fast food \u2014 that\u2019s a rooted, thriving life.<\/p>\n

So, here\u2019s a thought experiment. We know what happens when someone eats nothing but junk food. The documentary \u201cSuper Size Me\u201d made that clear. But what if we tried the opposite \u2014 30 days of only spiritual nourishment? What if for a month, we filled our minds with Scripture, surrounded ourselves with uplifting worship, and spent time in prayer and gratitude instead of worry and complaint?<\/p>\n

Imagine the change. Anxiety would give way to peace. Discouragement would turn to joy. Our spirits would strengthen and our faith would grow deeper roots. We might even experience what Isaiah 40:31 promises: \u201cThose who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proverbs 30:8 offers a wise prayer for balance: \u201cGive me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion.\u201d God knows exactly what spiritual food we need each day \u2014 enough to sustain us, humble us, and strengthen us.<\/p>\n

So maybe it\u2019s time to \u201csuper size\u201d our spirits \u2014 not with empty calories, but with the rich, living Word of God. Try it for thirty days. Feed on truth, gratitude, and grace. See what happens when your spirit becomes as healthy as your body.<\/p>\n

Jerry McGlothlin serves as the CEO of Special Guests, a publicity agency known for representing guests who are dedicated to helping preserve and advance our Constitutional Republic, and maintaining a Judeo-Christian ethic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jerry McGlothlin, Op-ed contributor Sunday, November 02, 2025iStock\/Marinela Malcheva People spend thousands of dollars on organic, natural, unprocessed food to keep their bodies in peak condition. Many carefully count calories, avoid additives, and take daily supplements \u2014 all in the name of health. That\u2019s wise stewardship of the body God gave us. But we<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[879,367,880],"class_list":{"0":"post-9152","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-living","8":"tag-30day","9":"tag-challenge","10":"tag-soul"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}