So my wife has latched onto Jillian Michaels' book, "Mastering Your Metabolism," and her war against high fructose corn syrup (and other fake-foods that are bad for you) and has totally changed our diet and how we eat. In her defense, some of the new foods we eat actually taste good, and even for the ones that don't, we have seen a remarkably positive difference in my household's collective health. But this post isn't about eating healthier food and taking better care of the Holy Spirit's temple...
Today she sent me a link to this article on MSNBC.com about how fructose has recently been linked to pancreatic cancer proliferation and expansion. Now, the conclusion that even my 8 yr old can draw is this: HFCS(high fructose corn syrup) consumption goes up; as do cases of Cancer. This research draws a pretty clear link. BUT (here comes my favorite part)...the researches are now searching to create a pill to stop cancer cells from using the fructose. So we don't go to the source of the problem and encourage people to fix it by controlling their fructose intake. No, instead we attempt to create a band-aid to treat the symptom of the problem. The original problem itself will remain and, as history shows us, will eventually find a way to become tolerant of the treatment and/or a new health problem will develop from the treatment...which will then require treatment. And the sad cycle goes on and on.
Rewind now to two days ago. I was listening to the radio in my car, and a snippet of a Tony Evans message (Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX) came on. He said that one of our biggest problems in our relationship with God is that we don't call sin what He calls sin. For instance, we look at our overwhelming credit card debt and think, "I've just had a hard run of luck," or "I don't get paid what I'm worthy;" instead of saying, "I've been living outside of my means and not treating my money as God would have me treat it." So we don't get right with God and repent from our sin, because we don't recognize our behavior as sin. And then the sin-barrier between us and God not only remains, but grows stronger.
As I read that MSNBC article a little bit ago, this message jumped into my head, clear as a bell. We don't call our sin, sin. Without recognizing this behavior as sin, we don't stop feeing our bodies massive amounts of fructose that it was never designed to process. Instead, we try to make a pill to treat it. We don't correct the sin, and thus the behavior doesn't change.
I've watched NBC's "The Biggest Loser" enough to know that if you attack the source of the unhealthy behaviors, then the body responds. I LOVE watching the Finale show and seeing what the contestants have done to their bodies and their lives, just from calling their overeating sin and instilling proper diet and exercise habits. So that got me to thinking...
WHAT ELSE IN OUR LIVES DO WE NOT CALL SIN, THAT GOD CALLS SIN?
For instance, perhaps you (or I) don't memorize Scripture and hide God's Word in our heart; we believe the lie that "we just can't memorize things well." Instead, we rely on software and smartphones to run a search for keywords that we think we might remember being part of a verse we think we heard once. And we never really learn God's Word.
That's just an idea that's off the top of my head. I'm sure there are far too many more. And honestly, I'm scared to dig in and actually ask God that question. I'm afraid of what I might find. But I'm going to do it anyway. To worship God and become more like Christ, I've got to do it. We, as a body of Christ, have got to stop treating the symptoms and go straight for the root of the problem: our sin.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What in your life do you not call sin that God does?
Do you dare ask Him that question?
Do you dare not to ask?
Today she sent me a link to this article on MSNBC.com about how fructose has recently been linked to pancreatic cancer proliferation and expansion. Now, the conclusion that even my 8 yr old can draw is this: HFCS(high fructose corn syrup) consumption goes up; as do cases of Cancer. This research draws a pretty clear link. BUT (here comes my favorite part)...the researches are now searching to create a pill to stop cancer cells from using the fructose. So we don't go to the source of the problem and encourage people to fix it by controlling their fructose intake. No, instead we attempt to create a band-aid to treat the symptom of the problem. The original problem itself will remain and, as history shows us, will eventually find a way to become tolerant of the treatment and/or a new health problem will develop from the treatment...which will then require treatment. And the sad cycle goes on and on.
Rewind now to two days ago. I was listening to the radio in my car, and a snippet of a Tony Evans message (Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX) came on. He said that one of our biggest problems in our relationship with God is that we don't call sin what He calls sin. For instance, we look at our overwhelming credit card debt and think, "I've just had a hard run of luck," or "I don't get paid what I'm worthy;" instead of saying, "I've been living outside of my means and not treating my money as God would have me treat it." So we don't get right with God and repent from our sin, because we don't recognize our behavior as sin. And then the sin-barrier between us and God not only remains, but grows stronger.
As I read that MSNBC article a little bit ago, this message jumped into my head, clear as a bell. We don't call our sin, sin. Without recognizing this behavior as sin, we don't stop feeing our bodies massive amounts of fructose that it was never designed to process. Instead, we try to make a pill to treat it. We don't correct the sin, and thus the behavior doesn't change.
I've watched NBC's "The Biggest Loser" enough to know that if you attack the source of the unhealthy behaviors, then the body responds. I LOVE watching the Finale show and seeing what the contestants have done to their bodies and their lives, just from calling their overeating sin and instilling proper diet and exercise habits. So that got me to thinking...
WHAT ELSE IN OUR LIVES DO WE NOT CALL SIN, THAT GOD CALLS SIN?
For instance, perhaps you (or I) don't memorize Scripture and hide God's Word in our heart; we believe the lie that "we just can't memorize things well." Instead, we rely on software and smartphones to run a search for keywords that we think we might remember being part of a verse we think we heard once. And we never really learn God's Word.
That's just an idea that's off the top of my head. I'm sure there are far too many more. And honestly, I'm scared to dig in and actually ask God that question. I'm afraid of what I might find. But I'm going to do it anyway. To worship God and become more like Christ, I've got to do it. We, as a body of Christ, have got to stop treating the symptoms and go straight for the root of the problem: our sin.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What in your life do you not call sin that God does?
Do you dare ask Him that question?
Do you dare not to ask?
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