Bendito
Loyal
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- Jul 31, 2015
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11 We have much to say about this subject, but it is hard to explain, because you have become sluggish in understanding. 12 For although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the very first principles of God’s Word all over again! You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without experience in applying the Word about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:11-14 (CJB)
These “Peter Pan” Christians didn’t want to grow up. Their diet of spiritual milk temporarily relieved their spiritual hunger. Contentedly skipping along on the surface of their faith, they took in the same basics over and over. They refused to put forth the disciplined effort that spiritual growth and maturity requires. They took the easy path instead of working to ingest the rich, healthy meat of God’s Word.
We often live the same way, filling the holes in our spirits with mere baby food, or spiritual junk food. We play in the shallows and talk about how great the water is when we could – and should – be in over our heads.
Examples of Spiritual Junk Food
Spiritual junk food sits eye level on the shelf. It’s easy to grab for a quick bite. Here are a few examples:
While a few things on the spiritual fast-food menu can give some benefit – I enjoy a beautiful meme as much as the next person – they should be appetizers or snacks, not the basis for our spiritual diet. Evaluate your spiritual diet by reflecting on these characteristics of spiritual junk food:
Our spiritual health requires preparation, hard work, discipline, and persistence. If we want to be spiritually mature, we must train ourselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8). We can’t microwave spiritual growth.
How’s your basic spiritual diet? Is there some junk food in your diet you weren’t even aware of?
From an essay by Kathy Howard.
These “Peter Pan” Christians didn’t want to grow up. Their diet of spiritual milk temporarily relieved their spiritual hunger. Contentedly skipping along on the surface of their faith, they took in the same basics over and over. They refused to put forth the disciplined effort that spiritual growth and maturity requires. They took the easy path instead of working to ingest the rich, healthy meat of God’s Word.
We often live the same way, filling the holes in our spirits with mere baby food, or spiritual junk food. We play in the shallows and talk about how great the water is when we could – and should – be in over our heads.
Examples of Spiritual Junk Food
Spiritual junk food sits eye level on the shelf. It’s easy to grab for a quick bite. Here are a few examples:
- Quick devotional thoughts based on a small passage pulled out of its context
- Visually pleasing memes with an inspiring, spiritual-light slogan
- On-the-run prayers substituted for time on our knees
While a few things on the spiritual fast-food menu can give some benefit – I enjoy a beautiful meme as much as the next person – they should be appetizers or snacks, not the basis for our spiritual diet. Evaluate your spiritual diet by reflecting on these characteristics of spiritual junk food:
- Gives quick, but fleeting spiritual satisfaction
- Lacks deep, real spiritual value
- Provides a “feel good” spiritual high with no correction, challenge, or call to obedience
Our spiritual health requires preparation, hard work, discipline, and persistence. If we want to be spiritually mature, we must train ourselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8). We can’t microwave spiritual growth.
How’s your basic spiritual diet? Is there some junk food in your diet you weren’t even aware of?
From an essay by Kathy Howard.
