The doctor says I’ve got too many triglycerides floating around in my blood. I found out that comes from eating sweet stuff and fat stuff. That’s unfortunate because one of the things I love the best in the world is ice cream (Think: McFlurry. Think: the Italien Ice Cream Parlor in city of Epernay, France).
At one time I thought I could never get too much of the delicious, sweet, creamy stuff, but I was wrong.
Once when we were kids my brother Charley and I bought half a gallon of ice cream and sneaked it back to our room so we wouldn’t have to share and mama wouldn’t tell us when we’d had enough. Armed only with spoons we dug our way toward the bottom of the box, eagerly at first then slower and slower.
Finally Charley said, “You can have the rest of it.” For some reason I wasn’t grateful. I found out that my hunger for ice cream isn’t limitless.
I wonder if we don’t get that way with God. We get so full of other stuff that we just burp when the good things of God come into view. (Sorry about that ladies).
Our spirit can get bloated just like our taste buds (and our body). A constant diet of television or internet (ouch!), or a hobby that eats up all our time outside of work, or a thousand other good things can be spiritual triglycerides doing backstrokes and high dives, filling and slowing our spiritual life flow.
“ He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.” (Prov. 27:7, NIV) Eugene Peterson says it like this in the Message. “When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert; when you’re starved, you could eat a horse.” Message
So how can we get renewed in our desire for God?
Well, if I’ve got to much sugar and fat in my blood physically, the answer to getting rid of it isn’t rocket science. It’s just hard.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16: 24, 25)
“Deny ourselves?” I know that’s not music to the ears of our generation which is passing on our national debt to our grandkids and has maxed out credit cards so that we can have all the latest gadgets. We’re a generation which hasn’t denied ourselves very much, huh?
That’s probably why fasting some can benefit us. There is a connection between the body and the spirit. A sick body seems to affect our spirit and vice-versa. Sometimes a hungry body has a similar effect on the soul. (If you’re not used to fasting a few meals, you might want to talk to your doctor).
We could also regularly take our Bible into the other room (the one which doesn’t have a computer) and read and think about what we’re reading.
We can read books about God. Ask your friends which ones helped them because some of them will just bore you silly. We can do something different in our prayer time if it seems stale. Find a prayer partner. If you have trouble concentrating, pray out loud or even write your prayer to God.
Hang around people who are hungry for God (not just hungry for the latest experience which is in vogue but hungry for God himself).
When you get right down to it, if we really want to get back to closeness with God (or maybe start a close relationship, we can.
“When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you—God’s Decree—”bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it. ” (Jer. 29:12-14, The Message)
Got too many triglycerides floating around in your heart? Hey, you better do something. Those things can clog up the whole works.
Today would be a good time to start.
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Hmmm …
“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Anon.
Life isn’t always fair. It looks like the hungry ones, the ones who love to eat, would get rewarded by eating first. Alas, it is not always thus.
Italian ladies do it as well as anyone in the world.