I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw this image and like many others probably had, I chuckled and kept on scrolling and that’s when the Spirit was like, “Nope, go back to that!”
Oftentimes we talk about idolatry, and we think of people, places and things. But do we ever stop and think of how society (myself included) becomes so addicted to things, and those things become things that we can’t live without and we begin to idolize them? And we don’t even blink an eye at that behavior because well, to be honest they’re everyday things that are “normal” to partake in.
I know when Jesus told me that He was going to help me break free from my remaining addictions, He listed smoking, caffeine and sugar. He didn’t want anything that was going to alter my mind and/or mood and those were the things He laid out as our “to do” list. And when I prayed and thanked Him for my being 1 month cigarette free, He gently reminded me it was time to tackle the next one on our list, and that day I started slowly eliminating caffeine from my daily intake.
If you were to ask me which one has been harder, I’ll tell you hands down it’s been the caffeine. From the moment I stopped smoking, I was done (7 weeks now, woohoo!). Caffeine is another story and it’s been 3 weeks for that. I do so well most days, but then there are those days the headaches come into play, or I just cannot function at all. I will sneak a very minimal amount in just to get by, but still, it makes you realize just how addicting it can be.
But seeing a picture like this does make you realize that we do tend to idolize and even worship material things that make us feel more alive and “better”. I know for me, the list He gave me are/were my 3 biggest vices. And if I am to be honest, they’re probably more of an issue (for me) than the addictions that get celebrated by society when we give those up. This coming from someone who has already given up some pretty bad addictions, lol. Smoking was leading me to issues with my red blood cells, the caffeine I’m sure in the amounts that I was consuming was not good for my heart or other health issues, and the sugar, I am certain that is not the healthiest thing for anyone either (just ask my expanding waistline, lol).
But again, I keep coming back to the picture and how we tend to put those kinds of things on a pedestal and make comments such as, “I can’t live without my coffee!” or “Coffee is my life!” and I’ve even said myself that things like donuts were “to die for!”. And what is scary is we don’t even realize what it is we are doing when we do it because it seems so “normal”! He’s reminding us that we need to be more careful with what we say and to remember that He is the only sustenance that we can’t live without.
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6.35
Family, we have got to start being more careful with our thoughts and how we express ourselves in all areas. I think we tend to forget or maybe we don’t even realize that things such as drinks or foods can be idolized but alas, and apparently because He’s in my heart reminding me of it, it’s of importance that we remember it, they can and we do. And I believe for most of us we do it innocently and not even realizing that we are. Can we make a code word that when we see another partaking in that behavior, we can say it to bring gentle attention to it?? I vote for “Pineapple”! Yeah, maybe not the best idea, but I do believe that He does want us to start making one another aware of the things that maybe we wouldn’t consider or think of on our own.
“Someone will say, “I am allowed to do anything.” Yes; but not everything is good for you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me it’s slave. Someone else will say, “Food for the stomach, and the stomach is for food. Yes; but God will put an end to both… Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.”
1 Corinthians 6.12-13, 19-20 GNBUK
Billie is a 40-something stay-at-home momma of five beautiful children and Grammy to three grandchildren. When not wrangling the littles, she babysits for her two adult children. You will find her gardening, canning, baking, and making the most delicious meals for her family. Billie is a multitasker juggling a team of miniature tyrants, a cat, a snake, two dogs, two rats, and nine chickens. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and studying her bible. Her passion is sharing the gospel through her writing! So, whether she’s feeding your body with delicious meals or feeding your soul through her writing, join Billie as she takes you on a journey providing you with “Food for Thought.”
by leaps and bounds 
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