Have you heard the phrase “you are what you eat?”

If that were true, what would you be? A bowl of cereal? A burrito? A Caesar salad? Obviously, that saying’s not meant to be taken literally. It’s meant to convey the importance of a healthy diet and good nutrition.

What about the phrase “you are what you consume?” That one word change makes a big difference. It’s about more than just what you eat. It’s about what you take in with your eyes and your ears. And it’s not just true for adults – it’s true for kids too. What we consume shapes and molds us for better or for worse.

Do a quick audit of what your family is currently consuming. What books are you reading? What podcasts are in your queue? What shows and movies are on your lists? What shows up in your algorithm? Everything we consume makes an impression on our hearts. They either draw us closer to God or take us further from him. And what flows into our hearts affects what flows out of them.

Believe it or not, this is nothing new.

King Solomon recognized the same thing almost 3000 years ago. He warned believers to guard their hearts from all kinds of outside influences that would lead them away from the coming Messiah. And the same thing is true for us today.

Thankfully, we have Jesus, who only consumed the good and rejected everything bad for his heart. And thankfully, we have God’s Word, which is the best thing our hearts could ever hope to take in. In the Bible, we hear the harsh reality of our sinfulness, but we also hear the wonderful news that our sins were put on Jesus. Let’s make that the main thing we consume every day, because it’s the best thing for our hearts!

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

Conversation Starters

For Younger Kids:

• What do you think it means to “guard your heart?”
• What kinds of things might hurt your heart or pull you away from God?
• What’s one thing your family could do together this week to fill your hearts with good things from God’s Word?

For Older Kids (and adults!)

• How can you tell if something you’re taking in is drawing you closer to God or pushing you away from Him?
• Why do you think it’s easier to take in things that don’t honor God than things that do?
• What practical step could you take this week to fill your heart with more of God’s Word? (Example: reading a psalm each morning, listening to Christian music, etc.)