food

   I’ve always known how popular buffets are in our country. What I didn’t know was how unique buffets are to America. I learned this several years ago when our church hosted some high school graduates from Germany. On their first day with us we took them out to a huge steak-house buffet. It was a special treat for us, but not so much for them.

   Since they were middle-class young people, they were used to having adequate food. They were stunned at the amount of food we ate, though. They picked out small plates of food for themselves (mostly healthy stuff, by the way) and seemed very satisfied. The rest of us, on the other hand, piled our plates high (you want to get your money’s worth, right?) and returned for more.

   Because we live in such a food-centered society, billions of dollars are spent every year trying to help us to lose weight. I have to think that buffets must be part of the problem. Here is the irony in all of this. In spite of all the food that’s available, many experts say that most of us are actually starving for good nutrition. When it comes to food, quantity does not necessarily equal quality.

   You know, that the same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Our biggest problem isn’t the amount of religious “food” we feed ourselves. It’s what kind of religious “food” we’re consuming that really matters. Think about it this way. When someone admits that their religious life isn’t what it should be, don’t they usually assume that more is better? More worship services, more money for charity, more hard work, or more religious ceremonies, etc.

  There are many examples of religious overfeeding in the Bible. We find one of them in Amos, Chapter 5. The Jews were into a lot of sin—immorality, idol worship, etc. It was so bad that God told them, “I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great….” (Amos 5:12). That didn’t mean the Jews stopped feasting on religious “food,” though. For example, they continued to long for God to come and judge the heathen around them (Amos 5:18), and they also decided to faithfully observe biblical festivals, solemn assemblies, burnt offerings, singing, and harp playing (see Amos 5:21-23).

  God’s opinion about all the religious “food” they were stuffing down themselves must have shocked them. Listen to God’s words to these very religious people: “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps” (Amos 5:21–23).

  God was telling them to forget their religious buffet. The Creator, who sees the heart, is more interested in holiness than in endless religion. Here is the reason: We cannot wash away the stain that sin has left on our souls, even with all the religious efforts that we can muster. Only God can do that.

  The only thing that will satisfy our hungry souls is “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22–23). Remember, you don’t need to stuff yourself with religion. Instead, trust what Jesus has already done to fill the emptiness in your heart and give you a satisfying relationship with Him.