What’s Eating You?
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him. (Psalm 34:8 MSG)
My daughter went on a road trip with her grandmother. According to her, she had lots of fast food and screen time. So, when she returned home in time for the sautéed chicken and veggies I had prepared, she had a meltdown.
Moommmmmm!!!
I rarely fry foods and we don’t eat out a lot especially during the week.
So, what was different?
Her taste.
Have you ever bitten into a piece of fruit after having already eaten something sweet or after brushing your teeth?
It’s disgusting.
Did the fruit change?
Nope.
On the flip side, have you ever cut back on salt or sugar and then go to a family dinner to find the mac ‘n’ cheese too salty to eat and your cousin’s sweet tea taste like pure syrup?
Did their recipes change?
No.
The New Normal
Whenever we decide to splurge and have some fries, we’re all frowning at the broccoli on our plates the next evening.
And, if we give in, we’ll soon find next month’s bank statement full of restaurant charges and wonder where we went wrong.
Sin is no different.
We might think we’re just going to enjoy it once or twice, but sooner or later, we look back and see all the damage we’ve caused.
And, now, the thought of going to church, praying or picking up our Bibles isn’t so appealing because we’ve been indulging in sin so long – we’ve lost our taste for Jesus.
So, how do we find our way back?
1. Cut The Cord.
Don’t play with the cord, don’t admire the cord – you need to cut it! You can’t straddle the fence with what’s good and bad for you. You just have to dive in with both feet.
God doesn’t change His standards to meet our tastes. He will not change His character nor what He accepts because we have a temper tantrum.
Likewise, instead of giving into Arden’s pouting, I explained to her that she would eat what I had prepared or get ready for bed.
She chose to eat.
Midway through her scraping the plate clean, I asked with a smirk, “How’s dinner, Arden?” In between forkfuls of green beans, she smiled and said, “Good.” (Green beans are her favorite.)
After she kissed me goodnight, she asked, “Can I have a turkey salad for lunch tomorrow?”
And so, with a little hunger and complete surrender, our longings for Christ will come back, too.
Ask yourself, has God ever fallen short of His goodness, even when we really didn’t want it?
2. Do not be deceived.
When I eat French fries or a strawberry milkshake, I feel good for a moment. But, they’re empty calories.
I feel heavy afterward. And, I’m hungrier sooner.
Those types of foods just don’t satisfy like a grilled skewer of steak and bell peppers – or a ripe, juicy peach or a bowl of ice cold watermelon.
But, it takes discipline to choose the latter.
Satan can’t offer us anything that fills us up. We may feel good for a little while, but we’re ultimately left feeling empty and needing more.
Jesus is the only one who can satisfy and sustain us. What He offers is everlasting. And, we don’t feel bad after enjoying it (Proverbs 10:22).
3. Don’t trust your senses or emotions.
When you attempt to rebuild your appetite for Jesus Christ, trust that He’s still a sweet Savior. There’s nothing wrong with Jesus – no matter what your senses or emotions tell you.
Continue to pursue Him with all you’ve got! As you detox through prayer and fasting, your hunger for truth and righteousness will grow stronger – which are cravings only Jesus can satisfy.
So, what’s the play call?
You may think that what Satan has to offer is better than living for Christ, but get yourself a real, good taste of Jesus. You’ll soon realize you’ve been missing out on what’s really good.
God’s heart towards us is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold (Psalms 19:9-10).
When you walk with Him and experience His fruit, you don’t want to go back to the ways of the world.
But, if you stray or stumble, just know that in order to get your palate right again, all you have to do is take a bite of God’s sweetness. His sweet grace and mercy endure forever.
