Ready:
"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."
-1 John 2:15-17
Set:
Athletes today need the best foods to nourish their bodies for maximum performance, but every once in awhile we all eat an unhealthy snack. One of America's favorites is the dreaded Twinkie. Did you know that more than 500 million Twinkies are sold each year? That's a lot of cream filling! Now, an occasional Twinkie is not entirely bad for you, but many times, one is not enough. You continue to go back for more and more until you can't stop eating them. Most people have enough self-control to stop, but some cannot. This is a problem for many Americans.
When John wrote his first letter (1 John), he talked about those who couldn't stop loving the world. The world today, in most areas, is like a big Twinkie. Sure, it looks good. It might even taste good! But it has no nutritional value. In my Monday morning small group, one of the men labeled things of this world as "spiritual Twinkies." Examples include most TV shows, movies, music, internet sites and so on. Anything this world offers that has no spiritual nourishment or redeeming value, in my mind, would be considered a spiritual Twinkie.
In our verses today, we see that everything on this earth is fading away, and that includes the things that people crave (even Twinkies). However, those who want to live their lives doing God's will can live forever with Him. But just like too much junk food can hinder the path of a finely tuned athlete, too much of this world can only lead someone away from the ultimate goal of heaven. These spiritual Twinkies will rob us from truly living for Christ.
I am not telling you to go to your pantry and throw away all your Twinkies and other snacks, but I am reminding us all that God's word commands us to rid ourselves of anything that keeps us from being fully devoted to Him. Today, I challenge you to get rid of those spiritual Twinkies that are weighing you down!
Go:
1. What are some of your indulgences that are not good for you?
2. Are there any spiritual Twinkies in your life that are weighing you down?
3. Today, how can you be in the world, but not of it?
Workout:
1 Corinthians 10:13
Galatians 5:19-25
Hebrews 12:1-2