Junk Food of Life

It’s everywhere you look. On TV, in the newspaper, throughout the aisles of the grocery store, by the checkout register. Colorful packages beckon you to reach out and take them home. We love it. We sometimes think we need it. Oh baby, we gotta have it.

Such is the junk food of life. Cookies, chips, soda, candy, anything deep-fried and covered in chocolate. Now that’s tasty right there. Talk about instant gratification.

For the general American population, we tend to take a things for granted. We can have a bag of Cheetos and 32 oz ThirstBuster of Coke in our hands before you can say “$2.53, please.” We can get a full meal in our hands via drive-thru in about 4 minutes or less. And we can eat pretty much whatever we want.

The junk food of life… It’s everywhere.
Source: Flickr/awrose

Now, I am a huge proponent of all things in moderation. Sure, my husband and I are limiting ourselves to eating only 7 foods for 30 days, but you can bet your ketchup bottle that I will be grabbing me a Diet Dr. Pepper and something that involves cheese when that time expires.

Yes, snarfing down that entire package of Oreos or slamming that Mountain Dew like you just came out of the desert sure tastes good– and it makes us feel good.

For a little while.

Until our stomach starts to hurt. And we start feeling guilty about our choices.

Here’s the thing with stuffing ourselves with junk food… it doesn’t leave room for the “good stuff.” Yeah, you know, the meat/dairy/veggie/fruit/bread kinda stuff that your Mom always told you to eat (or else.) Something about “Young lady, put the cookies away before you ruin your supper!” (Sigh. Why do Moms ALWAYS have to be right?)

This concept isn’t just true for actual “food” that we eat. It is also true for the junk food of our life. If Jesus is the bread of life, then what are the Skittles?

The junk food of life comes in many forms… too much TV, Facebook, thinking about what “might have been,” worrying about tomorrow,  focusing on material possessions… the list goes on. If we are consuming these areas of “junk food,” then we probably won’t have much of an appetite for Jesus.

It says in Matthew 5:6  (MSG) “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.” Working up a good appetite for God starts with not stuffing ourselves with the “junk” around us.

What areas of your life do you consider “junk food?” Are they in moderation or out of control? How do you think you can work up an appetite for God? I am excited for your feedback– please leave a comment below 🙂

Today I challenge all of us to take a good look at our “shopping list” and “menu” when it comes to our junk food vs. good food Jesus ratio. If it is a little off-balance and we find yourself full of the “junk food,” let’s take a moment to bow our heads and ask God to clean out our pantry or fridge of the junk food in our life. He is the Main Course that will ALWAYS fill us up and satisfy our appetite.

Hungry but satisfied,
SGK

“God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you!  I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts.” –Psalm 63:1 (MSG)