Piling it on

Earlier this week, I ate lunch at the acclaimed Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, owned by Paula Deen and her sons. This was such a treat for me; I've long been a fan of the Deens from their cooking shows.  Everything was first class - we were greeted by a smiling hostess who called our names with a delightful Southern drawl and our server radiated warmth and clearly enjoyed his job.  We formed an instant bond with him! :-)  And the food...oh, the food!  We chose the lunch buffet which allowed us to sample a variety of Southern goodies: fried chicken, baked chicken, pillowy clouds of mashed potatoes with a river of butter flowing through them, greens, creamed corn, blackeyed peas, green beans that I know were cooked for hours with a ham hock, sweet potatoes, hoecakes, biscuits...you get the idea.  Then, dessert.  Dessert was complimentary with the buffet, so of course we couldn't say no!

I ate that day like I haven't eaten in a while.  I mean, you just have to try a bit of everything, and after a few rounds of doing so, I realized I was full.  Very full.  When I tell you that I ate until it hurt, I am NOT exaggerating.  I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I ate until my stomach hurt.

While lunch was a pleasurable experience, what followed was not.  It hurt to move and breathing was uncomfortable.  I could not enjoy the sights and sounds on our subsequent wanderings in the downtown area because my insides were so angry.  In fact, what would usually be a delight to me - visiting a confectionery - was completely unappetizing and I had to leave the store because I couldn't bear to look at food anymore.

Me, not being able to look at food anymore? I know.  It's unimaginable.  But it brought to mind a spiritual truth.

Sin is much like my behavior at the restaurant.  We enjoy the experience; we dabble in a bit of this, sample a bit of that.  We pile our plates full of what the world has to offer, in small bites at a time, then finally sit back and realize that we hurt. 

If I consistently eat the way I ate at Lady & Sons, my body will probably adapt but I will surely develop a disease (such as diabetes or clogged arteries) that can lead to death.  In the same way, continuing to choose sinful items off the menu of life will certainly bring death. 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, NLT)

So, the next day I got up and got back to a less extravagant way of eating.  Wise choices: yogurt, berries, and chicken (not fried!) were on my menu.  I encourage you to think about your temple - what are you feeding it - spiritual food or worldly junk?  Choose wisely.

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses...Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!  You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him.  This is the key to your life...
(Deuteronomy 30:19-20)