Isolation Is Inoculation

We are what we eat - both physically and spiritually. If I eat junk food, it stands to reason that I’ll be unhealthy. If I eat nutritious food, I’ll likely enjoy better health. Of course, there are exceptions where genetics or other factors play a role. Still, the same principle applies to our spiritual lives: what we consume determines our condition.

The doctrine we listen to, the people we allow to speak into our lives, and the words we repeat to ourselves all shape what we believe. And what we believe directly affects our measure of faith and how we live it out. Scripture reminds us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). What we take in through our “ear gates” matters deeply. God’s Word is spirit, and it never returns void - it accomplishes what He sends it to do (Isaiah 55:11).

Even our own words carry power. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Years ago, I saw an experiment with cooked rice placed in three airtight jars, each labeled: Love, Hate, and Ignore. The “Love” jar was spoken to with kind and affirming words. The “Hate” jar received negative, cruel words like “I hate you.” The “Ignore” jar was left untouched - no words spoken at all.

After two months, the rice in the “Hate” jar had the most mold. The “Ignore” jar also grew mold, though not as much. The “Love” jar, on the other hand, turned slightly yellow but showed no mold growth.

Now imagine those jars are people - the ones on the receiving end of our words. Words of affirmation bring life, words of defamation destroy, and complete silence can leave a soul feeling invisible. Some of us have been all three jars at different times. We’ve been spoken to harshly, ignored, or uplifted - and our spirits show the effects. As Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). The same is true of the words we speak to others and to ourselves.

Guarding Your Spiritual Diet

Sisters, pray for discernment about who you allow to speak into your life. If something doesn’t sit right in your spirit, do not stay in the presence of foolishness just to save face or avoid hurting someone’s feelings. The Word tells us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).

My heart aches for women who believe they are being “led beside still waters” (Psalm 23:2), but in reality, they’re grazing on artificial pastures - spiritual junk food that looks nourishing but makes them sick inside. Many know deep down that the people or situations they’re in mean them no good, yet they stay, listen, and convince themselves that they’re unaffected. But just like in that rice experiment, the effects eventually show.

Sometimes the loudest act of disapproval is walking away. Detaching from what is toxic is not weakness - it’s wisdom.

As you continue this journey, whether you’re just starting out or finding your way back, come to our Heavenly Father as a newborn baby, craving the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2). Just as a nursing mother passes antibodies to her baby, God’s Word strengthens our spiritual immune system. It’s full of truth-antibodies that protect us from the lies of the enemy.

That’s why we must allow ourselves to be isolated with God - not in loneliness, but in intimacy. It’s in that quiet place of prayer, study, and reflection that God inoculates us against the world’s negativity and the spiritual “diseases” caused by harsh words, rejection, and deception. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

On our own, we can’t stand. But in His presence, we are strengthened, healed, and protected.

Prayer

Lord God, I have been spoken to negatively and ignored by many people in my life. I know that the words we speak and hear are spirit. I want to reflect You, but too many worldly identities have attached themselves to me. Uproot and destroy every ungodly seed that has taken root in my spirit. Break all unholy attachments and purge me of false beliefs that do not align with Your Word.

Empty me of what I think I know. I exchange my diet of worldly advice, myths, and superstition for Your pure, unadulterated truth. Feed me with the milk of Your Word, and strengthen me with the Bread of Life - Jesus Christ Himself. In Jesus’s name, Amen.