Junk Food
As we continue talking about our spiritual diets, let's think for a moment about how junk food can affect our health.
I think we all know that when it comes to real food, what we typically consume today is often not very nutritious. In fact, sitting here in this studio, there are probably ten or more drive-thru fast food places within a 5km radius. There are a number of corner cafes at which you could get an oily toasted sandwich which what we South Africans call slap chips. And even at the supermarkets nearby, there is an abundance of junk food lining the shelves, and the sad thing is that the healthier food now is actually more expensive. It costs you to try and stay healthy. Unbelievable.
Recognizing Spiritual Poison
There is a similar problem when it comes to spiritual diets today. In Joe Seaborn's article How Do You Satisfy the Appetite for God? he writes: "How many people come to church on Sunday but check their horoscopes on Monday? Some of them would not think it a conflict of spiritual interests to consult an astrologer while their Bibles lay open on their laps. If sources are not distinctly Christian, we need to curb our appetite for them. God cannot be honoured by our consulting spiritual powers that claim no allegiance to the holy God of heaven. We may find momentary satisfaction of spirit by talking to a palm reader, but in the end, we are playing into the devil's hand and will pay the spiritual price."
These are wise words. It is very tempting for some of us to start filling up on spiritual rubbish – spirituality that is distinctly anti-Christian and rejected by God in the Bible. But because it is popular in our culture or among our friends, we do it. And perhaps we don't realise that we are poisoning ourselves by letting such things into our systems.
Finding Nourishment in God's Word
In fact, listen to Paul's words in his letter to the Colossians. Clearly, they were also starting to take in some spiritual junk food, because he writes this to them: "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:6-8 NIV11)
There are hollow and deceptive philosophies, human traditions and spiritual forces that have nothing to do with Christ, and which take you captive instead of setting you free the way Christ does. And Paul says we should avoid them. We shouldn't be filling our souls with such things, because in the end they are spiritually unhealthy – junk food for the soul.
Be careful, would you, as you scroll through Instagram or TikTok or YouTube or Facebook. These platforms serve up a great big buffet of junk food that may smell good, but will poison you.
Instead, fill up on the Word of God which was inspired by Him and which is sufficient to nourish and sustain you and satisfy you day by day.
And let me tell you, when you start consistently eating the good stuff, the junk starts to lose its taste!
