“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.
There used to be a television program called Truth or Consequences in the 1950’s. The contestants on the show were given the responsibility of determining the truth about people, places, events or things by answering questions. At the conclusion of each show they would reveal the truth about the topic of discussion. In a similar way, we as Christians have been given the task of discovering truth or facing some consequences.
Our appetites include shopping, relationships, TV, eating and alcohol to name a few. Only God can truly be ready to meet the deepest desires of our hearts. One of the verses that comes to my mind is in 2 Peter, 2:19 where the apostle says, “… For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” When reading that verse, does anything come to mind that you feel it is to the point that it “controls” you? If there are appetites, desires or cravings controlling you, there are often consequences.
When you reflect on the appetites that have controlled you in life, it is usually some lies or temptations that begin our path toward harmful appetites. And it is lies that drive our desire to continue to feed them. Before those appetites get out of control, there are stop or go points or guardrails along the way that can stop us in our tracks. Those guardrails are God’s truth and they should move us back onto the path toward God and putting Him above all else.
If there is anything that God wants us to have an appetite for, it is the knowledge of Him. His truth is the antidote to the appetites that control us. What the Scripture does is turn us to Christ by faith and we grow in the knowledge of Him, so we can control those appetites which beguile us daily.
And that reminds me of the passage in Philippians 2:13 which says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” So this is not a battle we have to fight on our own. We have the power of God within us giving us the ability to defeat our enemy and our sinful appetites.
Discussion Questions:
- Read John 18:37: What did Jesus mean when He said He “came into the world to testify to the truth.”?
- What happens when our appetites lead us to ignore a truth of God? How do we prevent it?
- How can we practice faith in the truth this week?