Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. That is the name of a documentary my husband and I recently watched on Netflix. It was the story of one man’s journey to better health after realizing that he was “one cheeseburger away from a heart attack.” It recounted the drastic measures he took to get rid of unwanted fat and to get his life and health back on track. 
I think there are many parallels in our Christian communities today. So many of us are fat, sick and nearly dead spiritually.
Fat, from the excess all around us. We have instant access to nearly anything we want. From food to clothes, to entertainment. Moderation is not in our mindset. We want the best, we want it now, and we want it our way.
Sick, from not discerning what we take in. Ten-second sound bites are the foundation of our diet. From mind-numbing TV and media, to unscriptural and unsound doctrine pumped out in books and blogs across the internet. Our souls are shriveled and tired, and we’re looking for the next caffeine boost devotional out there: makes you feel good, then you crash because it was all empty philosophy with no real “nutritional value” for your soul.
Nearly dead, with no signs of life, because we’ve clung to this world and become worldly. Our spiritual temperature is lukewarm for heavenly things, but we have burning desires for the things this world affords us.
What’s a girl to do if she’s in this state?
1. Take drastic measures to get rid of what is hindering you. Identify it. Call it what it is. Then take steps to get rid of it. You know what it is. It is your “drug” of choice: spending, leisure, food, sleep, approval, acceptance.
Some advice from Susanna Wesley:
“Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish for spiritual things then it is sin for you, however, innocent it may be in itself.”
2. Stop eating empty “carbs” spiritually. Get into the meat of God’s word, and seek His approval instead of the approval or ideas of man.
3. Ask a friend if they see anything that is hindering you from growing healthy spiritually. Usually others can see our pitfalls crystal clear. We think we are moderate in areas, but sometimes we aren’t. Maybe a sin we are blind to is killing us spiritually. Maybe we’ve been ignoring sin and masking it’s effects on us by trying to have more fun, more stuff, more entertainment. Having a close friend help you is always a blessing.
Is your spiritual life fat, sick and nearly dead? What can you do about that? We are the sum total of our choices. 🙂