We were taking a road trip last weekend and while I was driving, Scott was reading to me quality finds on FB. One that sparked a debatable conversation was a Mental Floss article over the top 25 most addictive foods. 
Fist I have to tell you, by my definition, for a food item to be considered addictive it has to be a food you crave and drive across town to get such as french fries, a food you start and eat the entire bag before you realize it such as potato chips, or a food you store and hide places such as candy. I was trying to guess what items would be on the list and was pretty successful with the top 5, but it fell off from there. Included in the list were food items such as steak or eggs. Now, I get hungry for a steak every now and then so maybe it is addictive, but I can honestly say even though I like eggs, I have never stored them in my desk drawer or just kept eating them even though I wasn’t even hungry.
I would say there are a couple of addictions in my life. I have to drink at least one Diet Coke a day or the head ache is unbelievable. I used to drink 3 or 4 a day, but these days I only allow myself one. I also desperately need something sweet after every meal. I literally start craving something sweet as soon as I finish eating. I’m not hungry. I just want something sweet.
I would even venture to say I am addicted to non-food pleasures such as shopping or working in the flowerbeds. It is easy to get addicted to the feeling of buying yourself something nice and that feeling you have when you put on a new outfit and feel confident in what you are wearing. It provides a feeling that I desire. It is different with yard work. It provides immediate satisfaction. You work hard and when you are finished, you can look around the yard with a sense of accomplishment. These pleasures are senses or feeling that I naturally desire to replicate.
As humans created by God, we were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7) and God’s pleasure (Revelation 4:11). To glorify God is to:
love Him – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”Deuteronomy 6:5
Love others – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.: Matthew 22:39
Point others to Him – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Glorifying the Lord only takes place with a healthy relationship with Him. John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” The same reference of spending time in the home together is made in Revelations 3:20, “If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them and they will eat with me.” This is evidence to the desire of the relationship God desires to have with us.
As I reflect upon my relationship with Christ I divide it into two parts. The first part is simply habitual. It is just a natural reaction or instinct. After Jeff passed away, I felt the need to pick up the phone and call him anytime something happened or I heard of something he would want to know. It was just a habit. The same is true with calling out to the Lord. There is this habitual instinct to call on the Lord anytime there is a problem or to thank Him as soon as something good happens. I believe this is from a good raising. Calling out to the Lord was taught and modeled in our house growing up. I don’t know anything else.
The second part is the deep relationship piece that requires time spent in prayer and in the Word. It takes a conscious effort to put everything else aside and seek the Lord’s presence. No one would argue the wonderful experience felt in His presence. It is a peaceful, safe place where you can pour out you soul or just relax and rest in His presence. It is a part of why we were created. I believe this relationship should be as addictive as the bag of potato chips in the pantry. It is something we should desire and seek after.
Why is it the reward of spending time developing a relationship with the Lord is more rewarding and fulfilling than buying a new pair of shoes, but I don’t treat it with the dependency of an addict? I am so good at the habitual part of my relationship with Christ. I automatically give Him glory when something good happens, and I automatically call out to him in time of need. It is taking the time so spend in His presence where I fall short. I love the time I spend in prayer and spend in God’s word. I even crave it and make great plans for it to happen on a daily basis. The problem is my addiction is often not strong enough to survive through the busy schedule or to take priority over all of the other conflicting addictions. I pray that I can be as addicted to spending time with the Lord as I am to Diet Coke. Nothing stands in my way.
View From My Shoes 