Curb Your Appetite

Curb Your Appetite for Trash by Phil Joel of the Newsboys
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT).
I won’t lie to you—life in a rock band is amazing. I still pinch myself, half expecting to wake up as a 14-year-old boy who went to sleep surrounded by posters of my favorite bands and musicians. I’m having a blast, and touring in a band is a lot of fun. There are, however, a few challenges. One of the seemingly minor ones is that for a touring musician, the road is laden with burgers, fries and those crazy American “donut” things. Truck stops, fast food restaurants and backstage catering offer every fattening food option imaginable. Finding good nourishment can sometimes be very difficult. But, if I’m willing to put in the effort, it can always be found.
My pastor has a great saying: “You hunger for what you feed on and you feed on what you hunger for.” It’s really true! When I’m feeding myself with healthy foods, my energy levels increase and I find myself satisfied after each meal. I soon lose my appetite for the junk and become addicted to the way my body feels and functions when I’m eating well.
It’s the same principle from a spiritual angle. As Christians, we may be tempted to feed on the “junk food” of our culture: the wrong TV and Internet, pornography, the drive for fame and recognition in our own social scene, etc. If we give in to the temptation and spend little or no time with the Lord—reading His word, in prayer and intimacy with Him—we will continue to be stimulated by the “junk food.” Our minds will be coated in a “spiritual fatty layer” that will block our true potential in Christ.
The deal is this: There is an enemy of our souls. He has a plan to destroy us with a complete buffet of lifestyle garbage. I don’t necessarily mean those obvious, terrible and dark things that may tempt us. I mean anything that would distract us from pursuing God and feeding on His goodness and His words and ways. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I have a plan? How am I planning to grow and be deliberate in my pursuit of the Lord and His word?”
I’m writing about this today because five years ago, I made a conscious and deliberate decision to meet with the Lord every day arid spend time listening, learning and feeding on His presence. I renewed the simple, yet essential, practice of “the quiet time.” Rising and meeting with Him through the Bible and prayer is so important. It has radically changed my life. This is real-deal relationship-building stuff, and I need it. We all do! Without this time each morning, we risk spending our days as undernourished, ignorant, unfilled Christians who haven’t entered into the fullness of what Christ has for our lives.
In Psalm 19, King David talks about being hungry for God’s word and ways. He describes them as being “more to be desired than fine gold” and “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” When we eat the right foods, we build and strengthen our bodies. As we feed on God’s presence through His word and prayer every day, we build and strengthen our relationship with Him. We hunger for what we feed on, and we feed on what we hunger for.
So what are you hungry for?

This was in a devotional I received in the mail yesterday from KLOVE. I get these because I am a monthly donor, but because I have other things I am reading, I normally just throw it away. However, I thumbed through it and this article caught my attention. After being out of town for a weekend and feeding on actual junk food, I was happy to return home and return to my healthy food. However, the first couple days I definitely suffered from some cravings and came real close to devoring hot chocolate (regular - not sugar-free) and cheez-its. Now I have returned to my return and those foods do not even appeal to me. The same thing happens with my quiet time. Anytime we are away from home for a few days, my routine is thrown off and I don't get my normal quiet time. It's disrupts me spiritually and I am always very happy to be home and resume my quiet time with the Lord.