Meat Substitutes

I admire my vegetarian friends. It's really hard to be a vegetarian and eat healthy, making good choices. It takes a lot of planning and hard work to make sure that wherever you are, you can make the right eating choices, and that you actually take in enough food to sustain your body.

Every once in a while I venture into the vegetarian world. Just for a few weeks or a few months at a time and I noticed something... I do better when I eat "real food."

What I mean by real food is that when I'm eating like a vegetarian, I am more successful when I don't try to eat meat substitutes. Meat substitutes just don't taste the same, they don't have the right texture and they leave me really wanting the real thing.

What does this have to do with Christianity? Everything!

A lot of times, we try to be Christians, but we want to do it with a "meat substitute". Instead of opening our Bibles and reading what it says, we would rather listen to a preacher on the radio, television, or even read devotions - like this one and think we have what it takes to sustain us in our Christian walk.

It's a nice way to supplement, but it is in no way a substitute for a good old fashioned meal!

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phillipians 2:12-13


God wants us to know Him intimately for ourselves. He desires for us to open up the Word of God and wrestle with what it says. God wants us to ask Him for understanding. He wants us to meditate on His laws and statutes.


Let's struggle this week to read the Word of God for ourselves, and to share what  we learn with at least one person.