Too bad we don’t have a test to instantly check in on our spiritual health.
Dare 2 Share - Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. I Peter 2:1-3
I recently read an article about how the incidence of heart disease in Japan has risen sharply over the past decade. For hundreds of years, Japan has had a relatively small percentage of its population plagued by plaque. Yet in the span of a few short years, the populace is suddenly threatened with a real health problem.
Is there a government conspiracy to keep the population down? No. Is there an airborne virus that automatically raises cholesterol levels? I don’t think so. Actually the cause is pretty easy to spot: two words- fast food.
Yep, with the introduction of good old greasy American by products into the food market of Japan, heart disease came lagging right behind. The traditional Japanese diet was incredibly healthy, that’s one reason why bad heart health was not formerly a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely one of the ‘6 billion served’ or whatever it is up to now. I’m the first to divert to the drive-through instead of making a meal. The point is that taking dietary short cuts makes a long road to health.
Too bad we don’t have a test to instantly check in on our spiritual health. My guess is that most Christians are fast-food eaters, and that’s a bad thing. Let me list a few of the spiritual fast food restaurants in your area to see if you’ve been dining there lately.
McBibles- you can’t miss this place; it’s the one with the golden lettering on the front. Most people flip it open and shove down a quick verse or two, burp out an application, and hit the road. Oh, the ingredients are there for an incredible meal, but it’s a lot easier to live by the Evangelical motto: A verse a day keeps the devil away.
Church Bell- Many believers make a weekly run for the spiritual border. Sure, the truth is pastorally processed and religiously refried, but 30 minutes of preacher pontification seems to fill you up for six days.
Media King- Why break open your Bible or go to church when you can be fed right in the comfort of your own car or living room? There’s plenty of spiritual fast food floating through the airwaves, so why not dine on some delicious doctrinal delivery?
Of course there is nothing wrong with getting spiritually fed once in a while at these restaurants, but if they become the primary sources of your spiritual diet, you are headed for spiritual heart disease.
Charles H. Spurgeon once said: “A true Christian would rather go without a meal than without a sermon. He would sooner miss a meal than lose his daily portion of Scripture or his daily resort to the house of prayer”.
This week, take some time to really ‘crave' the living word of God. Read, recite, memorize, and share with others what you have learned. You may be surprised how incredible a real spiritual meal tastes. Bon Appetit!
Questions:
1) When was the last time you had a ‘real’ spiritual meal?
2) How many verses could you quote from memory?
3) What are the negative consequences of eating spiritual fast food?
