Gut Check

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35

 

I have gut issues. (#loveaging) Actually, according to a dietitian, I have gluten issues. This is not good news for me.

I love bread so I look for substitutes.

At a recent retreat, I was offered many gluten free options for snacks and bread. Since there are several other foods I avoid because of arthritis, I check ingredients so I know what I am getting. As I read the ingredients of one substitute, I realized I would have been doing myself no favors by eating it. It would not have bothered my gut, but would have inflamed the arthritis.

Today, listening to a  sermon on idols, I thought about this as I was trying to understand the idols I have in my own life. I like to think there are none. I know, however, I need to be diligent about rooting them out so I can keep God on His throne in my life.

Our tendency is  to  settle for substitutes to worship that we think will satisfy us better than God. We certainly never admit that is what we are doing, but we make God what we want Him to be. I have written before that it is very scary to me to hear someone say, “I like to think of God as…”

The scriptures give us a clear picture of the power and the perfection of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When we get uncomfortable with the gospel’s pointing us to our own sin, when we seek comfort in things or people other than God through Jesus Christ, or when want more honor from other people than we do from God – we turn to teachers or teaching that fills our own desires. We think of God as we want Him rather than how He is. We make idols.

We settle for less than God offers for our own comfort. It is often our comfort that is our idol.

Though we think that what God is requiring of us is hard, everything He does or says is good for us. When we find we are turning to substitutes, we need to look closely at the truth underlying what they tell us or where they send us for our help and comfort. Like the arthritis-inducing ingredients  in my gluten free crackers, ultimately, they cause more pain than relief.

If we do a gut check, we know there is no substitute for good bread and there is no substitute for the Bread of Life. He and His Word will be the only truly satisfying love and support we will ever know.

How have you and I substituted weak and worthless ideas for the true Words and worship of the Almighty, Most Holy, God?