The Chocolate Covered Conviction Stick

I have a confession to make...yesterday I watched a bad movie.  Yes, had I been a few years younger, and called my mother to ask permission, she would have said a big NO. But, against my better judgment, I told myself "it's a true story, you're a big girl now, it's no big deal." Compared to some, it wasn't that bad, but it was still full of filthy language and allusions to sex. It had very little redeeming messages, and although it was fascinating, it was still something my brain could have done without.  So after yesterday's blog about renewing your mind, I was hit with the conviction stick that afternoon.  Why did I knowingly justify watching something that just inflitrated my mind with filth?  So today I got to thinking, worldly habits are a lot like special brownies. Let me explain.

In high school, my debate class (ha that was shortlived) had a white elephant gift exchange.  Now the gifts were supposed to be funny, but one girl (cough Megan Troyer) brought a beautiful plate of ooey gooey chocolate brownies.  They smelled like brownies, they looked like brownies, and everyone wanted to taste those brownies!  So after this prize gift was stolen and passed from one person to the other, one student ended up winning them.  We all watched longingly as they took that moist, soft brownie and took a big bite. But instead of murmers of pleasure, there were squeels of disgust. Alas, those weren't brownies at all, but chocoloate smelling playdough formed perfectly in disguise.  Needless to say, our other gifts began to look a little more appealing.

My point is this: there are things in this world that are very appealing.  They look like ooey gooey brownies, and we think we NEED them! Now some us will try them and immediately spit them out, because we realize that their gross.  Others of us will taste them and think we can stand that salty flavor and may think "Just one won't hurt us." And then others of us will completely disreguard their harm and continue to eat each and every salty, chalky flavorless brownie, because we can, because it's not "that bad" or because we want them so bad to be a real brownie. But no amount of playdough brownies will every satisfy us, and eventually, they will make us sick.
So my challenge to myself and to you is this: What kind of brownie eater are you?  I realized today that I think I can stand the salt just enough, but its not doing my body any good. What are you allowing to creep into your life disguised as ooey gooey brownies?  A movie? A T.V. show? A book? Music? A relationship? or is it deeper than that? Have you eaten the whole plate and your starting to feel the ache? 

Just as Romans 12:2 yesterday stated that we should not conform to the ways of this world, but we need to renew our minds daily, that includes our choice of desserts.  I don't know about you, but I don't like this lesson, it will be hard for me to give up on those brownies sometimes. But the next time we reach for that imitation brownie, just remember that God has an entire mountain of every scrumptious, decadent, mouthing sweet we could ask for, just waiting for us!
May we taste and see that the Lord is good!  Love you all!