According to Healthline.com, “29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, 8.1 million of whom may be undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. In adults 20 and older, more than one in every 10 people suffers from diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. As a result, those levels can become dangerously high, potentially damaging nerves, skin, eyes, kidneys, and bladder.
That’s why diabetics are told to monitor what they eat and drink. A cupcake can pose a real risk under the right conditions. But what about “all the good stuff” they have to miss out on? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day … those may have come and gone, but there are plenty more holidays on the way, and holidays often bring indulgences at social gatherings. Should diabetics be expected to “miss out” on what “everyone else” at the big shin-dig is enjoying?
In a word, yes. It is the sacrifice they must make in order to stay focused on the "mission" of better health. To quote Count Rugen from The Princess Bride: “If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything.”
The truth us, we are all diabetics, spiritually speaking. Our bodies are flawed. They do not have the ability to regulate themselves and stay on track. That’s why we need Christ. That's why we need God's Word. Oftentimes it is incredibly tempting as believers to see things that the rest of the world is indulging in and think, They look like they are having so much fun. No one is getting hurt. No laws are being broken. Can’t I just do what they are doing? What could it hurt?
Please ... stop excusing disobedience. Furthermore, don’t mistake God’s amazing grace for His approval. Yes, God is long-suffering. But think of how much healthier we could be if we just learned to obey God's Word. In other words, what if instead of having a "missing out" mindset we chose instead to have a "mission-oriented" mindset? Think about it.
- They look like they are having so much fun. No one is getting hurt. No laws are being broken. Can’t I just do what they are doing? What could it hurt? Have you ever felt this way?
- Why is the thought of “missing out” so compelling? Why do we care?
- What would you say are the most common things that the world wants us to think we are “missing out on”?
Throughout the Old Testament, Israel often found some lame excuse to try and justify their disobedience or to excuse them from submitting to God’s will. We’d do well to learn from their mistakes.
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