All man's efforts are for his mouth,
yet his appetite is never satisfied.
Ecclesiastes 6:7
Here’s the problem. Empty calories typically represent all the foods I grew up loving. We quickly acquire a taste for them that is hard to deny. It takes work. The key is to do whatever it takes to acquire a taste for healthier food. While I have yet to master it, I know that if I were to put some discipline and even sacrifice into it and be creative and intentional about finding healthier foods that I like, I could and would acquire a taste for those as well.
And health would be my reward.
I’m thinking today of all my pursuits of faith that have left me feeling hungry. If I were to truly evaluate them, I’d probably find they were representative of empty calories. Most result in a quick hitting energy burst. And most were simply about me, my immediate craving or need, my own knowledge, my traditions, my Christian pride, whatever… Yet the things that leave me full, nourished really, are the things that begin and end with God and others. It’s once again a paradox.
The very thing we are chasing, nourishment of our soul, we allow to be hijacked by our own agenda and desires. And there are no winners.
What does this have to do with “smokin’ dope”? Kinda reminds me of President Clinton when he admitted to smoking marijuana. While he confessed he did it, he also confessed he didn’t “inhale”. Depending on who you talk to, that’s either good because he didn’t “really” want to take it in or bad because he “wasted” a hit. Either way, since he was just riding the fence, it was a lame attempt at both “appearing” cool and keeping it “innocent”. Falling short of both. It was really a lose/lose situation.
So my progression leads me to a reminder of this: Not only is there a natural leaning that leads us to emptiness and wasted effort where there are no winners, but there’s also a way in which the cost is even greater:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” – Prov. 14:12
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Nice way to see if anyone's reading... (got my attention.)
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely an insatiability factor in our society, our country. It's never enough food, entertainment, interaction. cf: "Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man." Prov 27:22 But I think that beyond a "healthy spiritual diet", which -- by all means -- is advisable, silence and stillness before God may be a factor. Just as fasting is good for a healthy diet and spiritual diet, silence is the antidote for the insatiability.
very good thoughts Susana... thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteReferring to your final quote from proverbs 14:12. I would argue whatever way a man takes, ultimately, it leads to death. - Vicky Moontree
ReplyDeleteVicky, in the temporal, yes, death in ourselves. I think the key is in the words "seems right". In that we must beware.
ReplyDeleteI like comparing empty calories to empty faith. I get that when I seem to just be going through the motions. You know, reading a quick devotional instead of really studying and pondering God's word. I get a rush out of it. The writing is good. But, does it stay with me? When I dig into the word like I do a good meal, it sticks to my ribs. God's word is the same. Don't get me wrong, I get a lot out of reading your blog.
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