The Set-up
My kids love to snack… constantly. Their snacks of choice are things like potato chips, granola bars, or gummy snacks. We have to always have to keep an eye on our kids to make sure they’re not filling up on too many treats. The snacks should not replace their meals. There’s a difference between the two. Treats are a great way to temporarily satisfy your hunger, but a well-prepared meal can sustain you for much longer.
In the third chapter of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul says that the church in Corinth was “not able to receive” solid food (meaning deeper spiritual teachings). It wasn’t that God was preventing them from receiving “solid food”. The real issue was that they were filling themselves up with spiritual “junk food,” teachings based on human wisdom and eloquence, that they couldn’t receive the solid food offered by Paul. For others, their spiritual taste buds had been so conditioned to the junk food, that’s all they would crave.
Spiritual junk food is dangerous because it feels like we are feeding our spirits - yet it doesn’t actually help. Just because it tastes good doesn’t mean it’s good for you. God is willing to feed you with deeper revelation and knowledge. Can you stomach it?
Passage:
Reflection Questions:
What are you feeding your spirit? Things that make you “feel good”? Or things that please God? What’s the difference?
Are there any Biblical truths that are hard for you to swallow?
What changes need to be made in order for you to maintain a healthy “spiritual” diet?
Prayer Idea:
Ask God to reveal areas in your life that may not line up with His will. Ask him to retrain your spiritual cravings for things that will last. Pray for wisdom in areas and issues that may seem “hard to swallow.”
This devotional was written by Chris Cavan.