An Unhealthy Appetite

Read: Psalm 107:1-9

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

                                                                                                             Psalm 107:9

     I’m like most people when it comes to sweets and soda – I really like them. Mountain Dew and Cherry Coke are my favorites, but I’ll take any flavor in a pinch. If you were to throw in some Laffy Taffy, Starbursts, Peanut Butter Cups, or just about any other type of candy, we would really have a party going on. Sadly, the hard fact is those types of “foods” and drinks don’t help me stay in shape. They also ruin my appetite before eating real food and usually don’t make me feel the greatest when I’m done. What I’ve noticed, however, is that the more I eat and drink those things, the more I want them. If I buy a twelve-pack of Cherry Coke and drink it, then I am much more likely to have the urge to go out and buy another one. On the other hand, when I have made a determination that I am going to stay away from Cherry Coke for a while because I want to get back in shape, I will reach for something more healthy. After a while, I feel less attracted to the Cherry Coke and more attracted to the water that I have been drinking. I am really motivated to stay away from the unhealthy choices when I can see the results of my healthy choices each time I step on the scale or look in the mirror.

     There are many appetites that can be unhealthy in our spiritual lives as well. A young person who is constantly sneaking around and listening to the wrong kind of music will develop an appetite for that type of music. A young person who watches movies with inappropriate behavior or language will develop an appetite for that type of movie. The same is true of looking at inappropriate things on the internet. The more an appetite is built for those things, the more that young person is going to be drawn to them, and the more he will do whatever he has to do to satisfy that craving.

     Just as a person who wants to keep from being overweight must exercise strong self-discipline to avoid unhealthy foods, so a young person must exercise self-discipline if he wants to develop healthy spiritual appetites. Listening to Christ-honoring music will help cure an unhealthy music appetite; avoiding movies with cursing, etc. will create an appetite for movies without those things. Before long, the spiritually unhealthy things will seem very dissatisfying compared to those things that please God. You will disdain the unhealthy tendencies when you begin to see the positive spiritual outcome that results from developing an appetite for spiritually healthy habits.

Quote of the day: “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.”