Spiritual Junk Food
In today’s accelerated life-style, urban concentration, stress related jobs and superficial relationships, there has immerged a new culinary experience that has become detrimental to our health. We have given it a number of names, such as: comfort food, fast food and junk food. These meals require little effort to fix, taste good, fills one quickly and gives an immediate sense of satisfaction. They are packed with calories and high in cholesterol and fats. Because of their sugar and carbohydrate content they are addictive and have led to obesity. Many doctors have warned against this self-indulging life-style, but the bad eating craze goes on. Health costs have soared, as sickness, due to bad nutrition, has increased.
As with the natural, so it is with the spiritual. The kind of spiritual food one takes into his life will determine his spiritual health. In rendering the Bible more contemporary and easy to understand, Eugene Peterson gave us a new paraphrase edition entitled: “The Message”. In 2 Timothy 4:3, it reads this way: “You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food – catchy opinions that tickle their fancy.” It goes on to say that they “turn their backs on truth and chase mirages,” (v.4). This is the generation that has no regard for what is good for them, but rather goes after what “feels good.”
Spiritual junk food gives us the quick formulas for success, the easy way to get rich and the instant remedies for the maladies of life. It all sounds so good and fills us with the illusion of a better life, but with little lasting results. For some disillusionment sets in as he abandons his faith and for other they are driven back for one more meal. Jude describes those who sell such commodities as “waterless clouds” and “fruitless trees.” A lot of talk and no substance…just carbonated, sugar drinks. Spiritual junk food is a serious attack on the health of the Church. For Jude, this is war.
Moses encountered this spiritual obesity as a major problem in the people of Israel of his day. He said that their becoming fat had made them lazy and had let them to abandon God and forsake their salvation. Who would have thought that not eating the correct spiritual food would have such dire consequences?
Paul and Jude are calling the Church back to the art of good, home cooking. Wouldn’t you rather have the kind of tasty, nutritional meals that mother used to make; the kind that would take hours to prepare. This is the solid teaching of the Word of God. It requires a desire for Truth and a dedication to study and research. It may not always taste the way you would like, but it is good for you.
Scriptures to meditate on:
II Tim. 4:3-5; Deut. 32:13-18; Jude; Prov. 19:20; II Tim. 2:15