It was one of those 101 degree days that almost makes the paint melt off of your car. My daughters had been patient and sweet all day as we got in and out of the sweltering van while we ran errands, so I decided it was the perfect day for snow cones. As I pulled into the drive-thru, a collective cheer arose from the back seats. While sitting in the long line, I convinced myself that even though I had been on a no-sugar diet for several months, one tiny snow cone wouldn’t hurt; after all, I was just as exhausted and hot as the girls. Normally I would have no trouble downing a large, but, since I had been on this diet, I decided it would be best to grab the junior size. As we pulled away, I took a sip of my snow cone and realized how surprisingly sweet it was. I made it about one-fourth of the way through my icy treat before I felt incredibly ill. My head ached and my stomach was tied in knots. I couldn’t eat a bite for the rest of the day because I was so sick. Finally, it struck me hard…sugar was the enemy! I could feel what it was doing to my body. I was in awe of the fact that, before this diet, my body had become so desensitized to it that I couldn’t feel the effects. It wasn’t any less damaging when I couldn’t feel it; my body had simply grown accustomed to this destructive substance.
This is a common occurrence in our spiritual lives; we feast on the sweet indulgences of the world thinking that they can’t possibly affect us. We become so used to them that we don’t realize they are destroying us from the inside out. Proverbs 6:27-28 tells us: “Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes and not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not scorched?” Sometimes though, we are already too numb to see the potential damage that lies in certain situations. My husband and I gave up cable T.V. about 5 years ago. I wish I could say it was for a noble reason; however, it was simply the fact that our budget didn’t allow it. I learned something over the past few years, though. Just like sugar, I had been on a steady diet of junk for years. It wasn’t until I broke from the never-ending stream of rubbish that I could see it for what it was. Now, when we visit someone with T.V. service, even the commercials are shocking. I had been deceived; even though I didn’t realize it, this trash was reaching my heart.
There are so many things in this world that vie for our attention. Here and now, endless opportunities lay at our fingertips. We must be vigilant to weigh each option against the Philippians 4:8 test: “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” If we are seriously considering these qualities, the list of things we permit into our hearts and minds diminishes exponentially. Above all, be sure that you aren’t allowing yourself to become hardened by sin. It is so easy to become like the Israelites in Hosea’s day who were so caught up in the sinful world around them that they were unable to return to God (Hosea 5:1-8). We must be continually guarding our hearts and watching after the hearts of our brothers and sisters: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin,” Hebrews 3:13. In a world that is continually beckoning us to indulge in the beautiful garbage that surrounds us, decide today to take a stand. Rid yourself of the junk.