Monday, February 18

Day 13: Licking the Bowl

The temptations are not what I'd expect.

In our social circle, Laura and I have seen a lot of big food events lately. For Valentine's Day, the men cooked a fancy meal for the women. One of our friends had a birthday with a big dinner. And a bunch of my buddies went out to Buffalo Wild Wings to try to eat 200 wings in one sitting.

That's a lot of food. But that's really not the source of temptation for me anymore.

The little things--that's what really gets me. While baking a birthday cake, I want so badly to lick the bowl. Just one finger wouldn't hurt anything, would it?

John Piper talks about a related phenomenon in the book I've been reading. He writes:

"The greatest enemy of hunger for God
is not poison but apple pie."


He explains that the real dangers lie in the things that aren't bad in themselves, but end up as "deadly substitutes."

Food is not bad in itself. But I'm not just trying to avoid food. I'm trying to see a deeper understanding of the Almighty God and His heart for the poor and afflicted. With this as the goal, it takes very little to sway me from the path.

Just one lick of the bowl.

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