I spent a few moments mind wrestling with God before writing this blog and it finally occurred to me in one of those ah hah moments that I will never win! Our tussle started over whether or not I should write about my reacquaintance with a long lost love. In my shameful defeat, I was reminded that honesty leads to victory not only for ourselves but for others. So, here I shall briefly and painlessly (I hope) devulge the juicy details. We were first introduced in college during one of my late night snack breaks in the south campus dining hall. Once I feasted my eyes upon this love interest, it was as if the gravitational pull of the moon dragged the stars into a locomotive alignment while the earth yielded in its last revolution around the sun in order to set the atmospheric mood around us. It came straight out of a love scene from one of those cliche chick flicks where everything, including the two star-gazed lovers, moves in slow motion. It was sweet, delectable, and it costed me the dreaded freshman fifteen (pounds). But, how could I resist slightly melted milk chocolate morsels embedded in rich layers of oozing contentment, perfectly moist in the inside, yet slightly crisp around the edges? Yes, dear readers, it is sad to admit, but true. I have reunited with Betty Crocker's creation, searching for comfort at the bottom of a box labeled "Traditional Chewy Brownie Mix".
In all seriousness though, I believe I am not alone in this dramatization, although yours might be slightly less exaggerated. We have all in some form or fashion fallen short due to a vice, whether it be the aching desires of our sweet tooth or persistent profanity. You can fill in the blank on what that means for you. But let's first define "vice". Webster's dictionary defines the term as a "fault, defect, or shortcoming". It can also be described as a "bad habit". Research has shown that it takes 21 days to form a habit, good or bad. As you continue to read further, I encourage you to think of anything that has taken root in your life and established itself as a bad habit. Depending upon how you perceive it, it may be major or minor to you. Nonetheless, it has a hold on you, taking up mental space and/or precious hours out of the day, tempting you, and preventing you from experiencing complete freedom of the flesh. A major vice could be sexual immorality, addictions to a controlled substance, excessive drinking, etc. I think of a minor vice as something as small as biting our finger nails.
This reminds me of a time that I was at the nail shop, eavesdropping into a converation a young girl was having beside me as she was getting her nails done. She shared with the nail technician that she was ten years old and that the reason her mom was allowing her to get acrylics was because she had a nervous habit of biting her nails. Before she could continue, the nail technician, now seemingly interested in what she had to say, put down his cuticle clipper, looked her square in the eye, and abruptly stated, "There are alternatives to biting your nails. I get nervous all the time, but you don't see me biting mine!" The girl giggled to herself uncomfortably. But, I could tell that she knew he was right. I will withold my opinion or whether or not I believe ten year-old girls should wear fake nails and focus on the matter at hand. If we were to flesh out the underlying issue of this real life scenario, we would find that this young girl was taught by her mother that if the habit can't be broken, you can mask it. Now, I know there isn't much cause for concern in this example. I have heightened and highlighted the issue to meerly illustrate my point.
My personal testimony indicated the beginning stages of a habit forming process, one many people are all too familiar with. Clearly, my want superceded my need. Now, I realize that a healthy appetite is a God-granted desire. Overindulgence is when it becomes problematic. Not only that, but it sets a precedence over our desire to seek God first. We may be subconsciously (or consciously) filling a void much deeper than an empty tummy. If this were not so, I would have eaten to contentment and would be satisfied. Being creatures of habit, we find comfort in the temporary fixes our world around us provides, far too easily at that, until voila...twenty-one days later...you have found yourself a new habit to add to the collection!
May I remind you, that this is a tactic the enemy knows far too well! In the very beginning of God's word, we find Adam and Eve tempted by the same food God created for our good. Scripture states, "And the Lord God commanded the man saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17) God told Adam directly that he would die if he disobeyed His command. The looming threat of death STILL didn't deter Adam from tasting the forbidden fruit. This goes to show not even death is enough to deter us from our own unsatiable desires! I thank God we now have the gift of His grace!
Just as the serpent tempted Eve, we too are tempted by a multitude of things, including our appetite. I think of how many of us undervalue the fulfilling richness born of the earth, in our fruits, vegetables, and water. When we start introducing processed foods, loaded with sugar and sodium, into our diets daily, we are not only compromising our physical health, but we are also defiling our temple. We are feeding off of a temporary satisfaction that serves no true nutrional value. The first chapter in the book of Daniel reveals that after an invitation to eat of the meats and sweets king Nebuchadnezzar provided to those who might eventually serve him, "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank." (Daniel 1:8) He instead proposed a challenge. While the other servants would partake in the king's spread, he and his brothers would only drink water and eat vegetables for ten days. This was to prove that the king's delicacies served no nutrional value, physically or spiritually. So, it happened that after ten days, Daniel and his brothers were in far greater physical standing than the other servants.
This chapter serves us a double portion of truth, promoting physical and spiritual well-being. When Daniel took a stand against the enticing lure of the king's table, he made up his mind that the food prepared was of no value to him. After ten days, not only was he stronger and in better health than the rest of the servants, but he also found himself in right-standing with God. This time spent in devotion to Him was blessed with wisdom and "understanding in all visions and dreams." (Daniel 1:17) In practical application, when we unclutter the body and the mind of the very thing the enemy tries to pour into us, we are far more in tune with God's presence in our lives. Many people engage in spiritual fasts for this purpose.
This example can also be applied to our lifestyle choices. We may be trying to fill that void, searching for temporal gratification by various means, such as carousing in our local bars every single weekend, spending hours surfing the internet, or spending money frivolously, etc. These are all vices that serve as bait to entice us farther and farther away from the one true source of nutritional value for our lives, God's word. Imagine if we fed on His word daily and drank of His living water. I believe we would be like Daniel, in great spiritual and physical health.
In addition to this, I have become leery of products labeled boldly with words that read "fat free" or "high in vitamin c". If it has to convince you that it serves a purpose, chances are that it is overcompensating for what it lacks. When is the last time you saw a banana peel with a label that reads "Rich in Potassium"? This same idea applies to other areas of our lives. If we remember to stick to the basics, the bare essentials, we will find ourselves in a world rid of the noise and distractions. Our lives will be less cluttered and more in tune to God's voice. I think about how our ancestors as written in scripture often audibly heard the voice of God. I believe that removing the vices from our life is like removing the constant noise in our daily soundtrack. It will fine tune our listening skills and open us up to hearing God clearly and soundly. Why do you think the enemy tries so hard to keep us routinely distracted with temporary gratifications?
I challenge you to start a new habit in the next 21 days: engage in God's word daily. I am sure we will receive our fill and be content. Our appetites will be satiated with rich text that is more gratifying than our favorite dessert. During our 21-day challenge, I will earnestly try to put aside the brownies and feast on the richly fulfilling morsels of knowledge instead. As it takes 21 days to form a habit, it takes just as long to break one. So, think of a few vices that you would like to release during this time. Let's regroup in a few weeks and share with one another our results. I am sure we will be empowered, strengthened, and fulfilled! Remember a healthy appetite promotes a healthy heart, pumping invaluable nutrients into our emotional, physical, and spiritual make-up!
God bless you, brothers and sisters. Until next time...be encouraged!
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