Eat garbage over fresh food…?

Imagine you went to Whataburger late one evening and you saw someone reaching in to the trash and pull out a discarded beverage. The individual then proceeds to consume that beverage and reaches back in to the trash can and pulls out a half eaten burger. At this point you think to yourself, what can I do for this person? So you offer to buy them a meal. The person politely declines you. Now you’re thinking “seriously?” He has to still be hungry and would benefit from a complete meal. You enter the restaurant, and decide to order an extra meal. After you've paid, you go outside to ask what type of soda he would want. By this time you find he has gone over to the dumpster. When asked about the soda, he still declines. Insisting further, you inform him that the order has been placed, that it has already been paid for. He is still not willing to receive this gift. You go back inside to pick up your order, and when you go outside, and he is nowhere in sight. He was presented with a free gift, which was purchased before he agreed to it, one which was fresh, clean, and sanitary — and still it was refused! Seems crazy doesn't it?

So often as we go through life we put ourselves in the same position. Before we become Christians, the Holy Spirit presents us with the opportunity for a life that is clean and good. A life of satisfaction and fulfillment. A life of overflowing abundance. And yet, we choose to continue on in our sinful lives. Pursuing fleeting fantasies, searching for a purpose, while never being satisfied with how our lives are turning out. Here’s the deal, God didn't wait for us to say yes, but sent His son Jesus to die for us and to save us from our sins.

Or maybe you've been a Christian for a long time and you've seen how your life has been transformed, and but yet you still struggle with past sins and distractions of this world. God has not stopped offering the best to us, and He has not stopped calling to us. Yet, we politely say no, and pull our next meal out of the trash of worldly desires and self-fulfillment.

Romans 12:2 NLT says: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Take this opportunity to do some self-evaluation. Are you settling for sub-par, or are you seeking God’s best for your life? Who in your life can you connect with to share your struggles, and to be accountable with to promote healthy change in your Christian walk?