Flee youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22) Pt. 3

The Tongue - One more thing for youth to flee from is the sweet temptation of taste. Many young people have been taken down by their taste buds. First let me remind you of what Hebrews 11 calls the "fleeting pleasures of sin". Something might taste good but taste is always temporary. Sin brings pleasure, feels good and tastes yummy but it never lasts. It always turns around and stabs you in the back. It is deceptive and temporary. The pleasures of sin quickly turns into the pains of sin. When it comes to taste this "fleeting pleasure" principle is easy to see. Just stuff yourself with donuts or ice cream (or, in my case, Taco Bell) and the pleasure quickly fades into moaning and groaning. When it comes to food - you can go very quickly from the “pleasures of sin” to the pain of sickness. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (Phil 3:18-19). Notice the phrase "their god is their belly." This is the temptation of taste. Food becomes a god, taste becomes a god, appetite becomes a god, the tongue becomes a god. People worship the things that they put in their body. They worship their cravings, they worship their desires, and they worship the things that give them pleasure. In about 5 minutes you can go from “Oh it’s soooo good” to “Ooooh I feel so bad” I might add here that many, in our culture, worship their belly in another way. They worship the "six-pack abs". There are two extremes to making your god your belly. They both focus too much on food… One on the way the food tastes and the other on how healthy it is. Some worship junk food and others worship health food. You can worship your belly in a way you want your belly to feel good or you can worship your belly in a way you want it to look good. You can worship your appetite or you can worship your appearance. When it comes to youthful lusts directed toward your tastes, sometimes its better to run! If you're a chocoholic, flee the See's Candy Store. If you're addicted to caffeine, don't go hang out at Starbucks. If you're a glutton, don't spend all your free time in the kitchen. Your taste buds are a gift and a blessing from God but they are also a target of temptation. So next time temptation attacks your tastes let temptation taste the dust behind you as you run away. Flee youthful lusts.