SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GRAZING ON LATELY?

As humans, we are always looking for something fun, tasty, and easily accessible to sink our spirit, emotions, and intellect into, but as we all know, the diets we sometimes choose are not good for us.

1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,  now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

One can have called themselves a Christ-follower for decades and remain a newborn babe. It’s not necessarily the number of years that brings one to maturity in Christ, but rather the quality of time spent seeking God consistently!

Like a newborn babe that feeds regularly, we too are always hungry and are looking to be satiated, and just like a baby, we might accept anything that looks, sounds and tastes good.

The devil comes in to try to feed you with things that are not good for you. He is masterful at deception and culinary delight, cooking up and tempting us with things that are irresistible to the flesh to divert our attention and keep us from full maturity in Christ.  

If we use real food as an example, they would be fat, sugar, pop, junk food, etc., all the things that taste good but are bad for you. For a new or immature Christian, that would mean satiation through anything that would appeal to their human/fleshly desires and ultimately keep them from seeking God.

Galatians 5:19-25  19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

What’s your favourite spiritual, emotional, and intellectual junk food? What tastes good to your flesh?

Let’s look at a newborn:

God created babies to grow exponentially in a short time, which would explain why they are always hungry and require regular feedings! One would want to nourish them regularly with pure milk so that they grow strong and healthy.

In the same way, God wants to nourish hungry baby/immature Christians with His word so that they grow spiritually mature.

God has a plan to help us grow into mature Christians.

1 – Stop following what others do.

Romans 12:2  Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

2 – Read God’s word so that you can know what is good and right.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

3 – Focus on the right stuff.

Philippians 4:8  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

4 – Keep your mind out of the gutter.

Colossians 3:2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

4 – Pray and be diligent.

Matthew 26:41  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

5 – Stay close to God

James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

6 – Be on guard.

1 Peter 5:8-9  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

7 – Don’t accept candy from the devil.

1 Peter 5:8  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

We must continuously feed on God’s word and say no to the devils’ junk food.