Teachable Moment #2: Choosing Wisely

I went to lunch with one of my co-workers today. A couple of years ago, I made a commitment to change my eating habits and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. That means being more choosy about where and what I eat. Today we decided that Ruby Tuesday's would be a relatively healthy place to chow down.

After surveying the menu and passing over the most tempting but no doubt fattening selections, I decided to order a veggie burger. Sounds healthy, right? For good measure, I even substituted broccoli on the side in place of french fries.

When I got back to the office, I decided to do some online investigating into the RT menu. I was appalled to discover that my so-called "healthy" choice weighed in a whopping 943 calories!! The burger was huge and I only ate half, but still, it was shocking to see how many calories I'd consumed thinking that I was eating healthy! Needless to say, the RT veggie burger is officially off my list of healthy meal choices!

So, where's the teachable moment in all this, you wonder? I had good intentions. I wanted to order the "right" thing. I wanted to live healthy. And I chose something that sounded healthy. But I chose poorly. Just because something is labled as "veggie" or "healthy" or "lite" does not make it so.

Likewise, something that is labeled "Christian" is not necessarily so. Part of being a disciple is actively pursuing the truth. Satan himself is described as being a liar, deceitful, deceptive. So much of what Satan uses to tempt us is not something that is in direct opposition to God, but rather something that is counterfeit. It may look and sound "Christian", but it could be far from it.

I've heard that when bankers and tellers are trained to look for counterfeit bills, they don't study counterfeits. They study authentic currency--the look, the feel, the weight and dimensions of it. By studying the legitimate bills so carefully, they can more readily spot a fake.

By spending time studying God's Word, we will have a deeper knowledge of His truth, and will be able to more easily recognize the lies and deception that Satan brings against us.