Sour Gummies vs Ice Cream

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

I LOVE eating sour gummies—especially the multi-colored tongue shaped ones. I love the combination of sour and sweet, their chewiness and their bright colors. I also love eating ice-cream—almost any flavor, but most of all coconut, pistachio, or flavors with crunchy things like chocolate bits or cookies.

With both of these delicious treats there are, however, drawbacks. The sour gummies can tend to get stuck in your teeth and, if you eat too many of them at one time, can leave a scratchy tingly feeling on your tongue. Ice cream can initially leave you with a full feeling and a sugar high, but brings you crashing back to reality and a renewed hunger after a while.

Which one would I choose? Tough decision. The sour gummies might stick with me longer, due to the scratchy tongue and the leftover pieces in my mouth. The ice cream would fill me with a more instant gratification that is soon forgotten.

Why am I sharing this with you? In some ways these two tasty treats are metaphors for the way I experience God’s word—especially what it says about who I am. Countless verses sprinkled throughout the Bible paint a magnificent picture of who we are as believers in Jesus—children of God, more than conquerors, fearfully and wonderfully made, forgiven, LOVED….The list could go on and on.

These truths are just that – absolute FACT- and incredibly powerful! However, I must admit that, having read and heard them quite often, it can seem like their power has worn off. Reading them can be like eating ice cream. For a few minutes I feel invincible and am at an emotional high. Soon after closing my Bible and entering into my workday, however, I can easily forget them and find myself seeking truth and nourishment somewhere else. I become easily discouraged by everyday circumstances and find my value in what I do, instead of in who I am in Jesus.

How much difference would it make if I approached God’s Word and His promises like eating sour gummies? I would read over the text slowly, enjoying its sweetness and the nuggets of truth that speak to me would linger in my mind like the pieces of gummy stuck in my teeth (in a good way). I would ponder its meaning throughout my day and bring my questions— the “sourness”- to God, asking Him to help me understand what it means.

This week I am challenging myself to hang on to the truths of the Bible, to let them linger in my mind and heart. I choose to read “sour gummie” style.

What about you?

Interested in reading about our identity in Christ? Here are some verses to check out: Romans 8, John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 2:9+10, Matt. 5:13+14.