GMOs—Are You Concerned?

There is a lot of worry about genetically modified organisms—GMOs. But is there another type of “GMO” that we should be even more concerned about?

The uproar about GMOs—genetically modified organisms (particularly food)—comes and goes. The alarm is so great that some countries have banned them. Personally, I, too, have concerns when I consider some of the purported side effects. But should the physical food we put in our stomachs be our only concern?

The spiritual diet

The Bible is clear that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

As Christians, we understand that our physical lives are secondary to our spiritual lives. The food we eat spiritually is the Word of God.

Christ reinforced this point later in His physical life: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. … This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51, 58).

So where do the GMOs come in?

The original GMOs

The original GMOs were introduced way back in the Garden of Eden. Shortly after the creation of mankind, Satan began introducing GMOs to mankind. These GMOs were genetically modified objectives that led mankind away from God. Satan introduced Adam and Eve to his idea that their way or thoughts were just as good as God’s. Accusing God of lying to them, he twisted the truth to fit his agenda, thus bringing sin into the world.

From that time on, Satan has been a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour and continuing to inject his twisted reasoning into every nook and corner of our world. He has been mixing his reasoning into God’s truth to deceive mankind since the Garden of Eden.

Rejecting spiritual GMOs

John 17:17 says, “Your word is truth.” This is the way we can reject Satan’s genetically modified objectives—through God’s Word of truth.

The Bible tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13-14). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible explains that “we must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian’s life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way.”

So, as the debate about the safety of GMOs in our physical food continues, we should rightfully use wisdom and care in our diet. But we should be even more careful to guard the things we allow into our minds.

Three sources of input

There are three places we must look to and check to make sure the input is godly:

• Satan tries to deceive us and suck us into his downward spiral that leads to eternal death. He does not want God’s plan to work. He developed his “genetically modified objectives” with that goal in mind, so BEWARE!
• The world is under the influence of Satan and his thoughts. Ultimately, we must ask ourselves whether our thoughts, words or actions are also influenced by Satan or whether they are godly?
• Our own human nature is inclined to sin (as Paul states in Romans 7:15-25). Our road is uphill and against the grain, but we realize that Christ blazed a trail for us to show it can be done. His Father even sends us His Holy Spirit to give us the help we need. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

The next time you hear more of the ongoing debate about the presence of GMOs in our physical food, stop and consider your spiritual meal and whether it contains a GMO. The potential side effects of the genetically manipulated organisms may be serious, but the side effects of genetically manipulated objectives are spiritually terminal.

To read more of Susan Scott Smith’s insights, read “What Do You Want Chiseled on Your Tombstone?”