Acouple days ago, we gave Ethan a treat after lunch (a little bit of Easter candy). Ethan doesn’t eat much junk food so he doesn’t get much sugar, normally.
But after his treat, he was too wound up to take his normal 2+ hour nap. He stayed in his room (mostly in his bed, although he ran around a bit, too) for about an hour-and-a-half but never went to sleep. Fortunately, Sarah was able to get her hour-long nap in during this time.
Ethan came downstairs after Sarah woke up, and I said something like, “No more sugar for Ethan,” to which he replied, “Sugar makes me happy!” 😆
I’ve thought about that statement from a discipleship perspective. How easy it is for us to prefer “sugar” over the “food” that helps us get/stay healthy.
Think about your favorite stories and verses in the Bible. Most likely, they’re the more encouraging statements. We certainly need those parts of the story, but what about what those parts that correct and challenge us? We need to hear those words, too.
This has implications for preaching. People need the whole Word of God — the parts that encourage and uplift as well as the parts that cut to the heart, parts that are hard to swallow. A preacher’s (or a parent’s) primary goal is not to make people “happy,” but to help them encounter God in a way that leads to real life change. That happens by speaking the truth in love!
To grow in our walk with God, we need a healthy, balanced diet (not with too much sugar, though, especially for little kids). 🙂
Hey, Keep Ethan happy! LOL