No. 182 - THE "TWO-LEGGED" STOOL

No. 182

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Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

"FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH"

Over the past several years I have discovered something for myself that has had a tremendous impact on my life, and for "what it's worth" I would like to share the essence with you. It is common knowledge that a human being is made up of basically three parts..the body, the mind and the spirit. We also have an immortal soul which is interrelated with the spirit, but that's a different story. According to Webster's New World Dictionary the body is defined as "The whole physical structure and substance of a man, animal or plant. The mind is that which thinks, perceives, feels, wills, etc; seat or subject of consciousness." The spirit is "the vital or aminating force in living organisms, especially man, often considered divine in origin." The reason I wanted to give you these definations is so we would all be on the same page.

Please understand, it is not my purpose here to get into Theology or dig too deeply into what could be a very complex and even controversial subject. Rather, I'm more than content to stick with common sense and the practical aspects of what I want to share that most people will accept at face value. One of the most desired aspects of what we call "life" is to have good health. In fact, the American people spend billions and billions of dollars each year on health insurance, medications, dietary supplements and trips to the Doctor or hospital when a crisis arises.

Now "for what it's worth", here is what I have discovered that has made a tremendous difference in my life. I am blessed to have a wife who is a fantastic cook and she feeds me good nutritious meals. It's up to me however, to exercise and do other things that will help me to keep my BODY in good physical condition.

When it comes to my MIND, I have learned to be very selective in what I read, watch and listen to because what goes into my mind will sooner or later come out. It comes out as speech, actions and behavior. You no doubt know the computer term G.I.G.O. which stands for "Garbage In..Garbage Out." This is a perfect example of how the human mind works and in time will have a great bearning on the quality of our life.

While we all know that it is important to feed our body if we are to live and its also an accepted fact that our mental diet, or what goes into our mind, is also very, very important. What's not so widely known however, is that if we are to be a happy and contented person we must also feed our SPIRIT. From my perspective, many of our problems in society are brought about because millions of people are spiritually and morally bankrupt. This is to say these people are spiritually hungry and may not even know it.

Little did I realize it at the time, but in 1984 when I made the decision to read the Bible through once each year and to spend some quiet time each day with the Lord, it would completely change my life. At this point I was not only feeding my body and my mind but I was also feeding my spirit. What a difference this has made in my attitude and how I view other people and the world around me. I also listen to QUALITY spiritual music, like the songs and videos produced by Bill & Gloria Gaither and the singing of gospel artists like Squire Parsons, Anrde' Crouch, Carmen and the late Ethel Waters.

Here don't be misled and compare this with other types of music. It's not the singing or the music but it's the words that really makes the difference. As I said earlier, this is just "for what it's worth", but if there are times when you are lonely, discouraged or sad, why not take time to 'feed your spirit' and I believe you will find as I have, that it will make a tremendous difference in your life. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

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