Chocolate Cheerios!
Before touching on the title of this post and zeroing back in on our topic of modesty (how to teach it), here is a pertinent excerpt from John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress".
During a recent shopping trip, I saw something on a shelf that really reminded me of the times in which we live.
Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this
town, where this lusty fair is kept; and he that will go to the city,
and yet not go through this town, "must needs go out of the world." 1
Cor. 4:10. The Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this
town to his own country, and that upon a fair-day too; yea, and, as I
think, it was Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited him
to buy of his vanities, yea, would have made him lord of the fair,
would he but have done him reverence as he went through the town. Yea,
because he was such a person of honor, Beelzebub had him from street to
street, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time,
that he might, if possible, allure that blessed One to cheapen and buy
some of his vanities; but he had no mind to the merchandise, and
therefore left the town, without laying out so much as one farthing
upon these vanities. Matt. 4:8,9; Luke 4:5-7. This fair, therefore, is
an ancient thing, of long standing, and a very great fair.
Now, these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go through this fair. Well,
so they did; but behold, even as they entered into the fair, all the
people in the fair were moved; and the town itself, as it were, in a
hubbub about them, and that for several reasons: for,
First, The Pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment as was
diverse from the raiment of any that traded in that fair. The people,
therefore, of the fair made a great gazing upon them: some said they
were fools; 1 Cor. 4:9,10; some, they were bedlams; and some, they were
outlandish men.
Secondly, And as they wondered at their apparel, so they did likewise
at their speech; for few could understand what they said. They
naturally spoke the language of Canaan; but they that kept the fair
were the men of this world: so that from one end of the fair to the
other, they seemed barbarians each to the other. 1 Cor. 2:7,8.
Thirdly, But that which did not a little amuse the merchandisers was,
that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares. They cared not
so much as to look upon them; and if they called upon them to buy, they
would put their fingers in their ears, and cry, "Turn away mine eyes
from beholding vanity," Psa. 119:37, and look upward, signifying that
their trade and traffic was in heaven. Phil. 3: 20,21.
One chanced, mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto
them, "What will ye buy?" But they, looking gravely upon him, said, "We
buy the truth." Prov. 23:23.
-------
During a recent shopping trip, I saw something on a shelf that really reminded me of the times in which we live.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 1 Peter 3:25
As we have continued our discussion on modesty and clothing choices and that whole ball of wax, what should guide us are the Bible's warnings against worldliness and the sin that is so prevalent in society. Evil influence increases. It is driven by society's relentless pursuit of pleasing self. When merchandisers get involved, they invent new things which they convince us will please us even more. This does not merely pertain to clothing choices, but media, possessions in general, education, and leisure activities.
In the excerpt above, we see Bunyan's ability, hundreds of years ago, to describe the current state of the world quite accurately, even without the benefit of having scoped out the average modern shopping mall.
What is to be our attitude and stance against such things? How are we to teach our children to respond to the false ideas and influences with which they may be bombarded? Are we to accept them as normal?
However, we are still in the world. We are just not to be of the world. After all, we are ambassadors of Christ.
In giving instruction to the Corinthians, Paul explained,
Paul explained that there is no way to escape from those who are of the world, who speak lies, who approve of evil -- unless we leave the world.
However, by seeking the Lord, as we have been learning in Colossians 2 and 3 and elsewhere, we are insulated from the effects of the sin all around us. To fail to recognize this, to fail to insulate ourselves, we are in danger of being conformed to the pattern of this world.
What I saw recently was Chocolate Cheerios! Cheerios once seemed like the most simple and "healthy" type of cereal you could purchase. It remained pretty plain, I read, for about 40 years. This new chocolate variety has been reformulated. It has different ingredients altogether. And it is an attempt by merchandizers to gain more sales, not to increase consumer nutrition or value. Although it still bears the "Heart Healthy" logo, it has 1/3 the fiber and much more sugar that the original -- so healthy is kind of a stretch. (Not that I am any kind of health expert, of course.)
The point is not to say we should never eat Chocolate Cheerios. Most of us celebrate birthdays and have ice cream on hot days (or other days!). In moderation, there is usually no problem. If such products meet our calculated purposes for dessert, celebrations, special treats, fine! Yum!
However, most of us realize that in regularly choosing such items as a food staple, there can be problems. If our children demand or whine for such things, there can be problems. If we purchase these things simply to keep our children quiet, we are putting them on a dangerous path. Heed the lesson of the Ovaltine commercials! However, this is precisely what food manufacturers are hoping for. By remembering this principle, and by teaching this to our children, we are insulated from false ideas as we shop. We buy the truth! That is, we make our decisions independent of slick marketing techniques (to the best of our ability).
Hmm... While an occasional treat is not necessarily wrong (unless perhaps you are violating your conscience because of other goals or priorities the Lord has given you), can the same be said for occasional laxity on standards of modesty? That is, not merely being less-formal, but actually less than modest? Taking it further, how about an occasional film with nudity or obscenties? Or an occasional lotto ticket??
How could we make such decisions while ensuring we are not just being swayed by pragmatism or compromise or even plain-old temptation?
This is an area where we are protected and insulated from such temptations when our affections are set on things above.
In the excerpt above, we see Bunyan's ability, hundreds of years ago, to describe the current state of the world quite accurately, even without the benefit of having scoped out the average modern shopping mall.
What is to be our attitude and stance against such things? How are we to teach our children to respond to the false ideas and influences with which they may be bombarded? Are we to accept them as normal?
from such turn away
However, we are still in the world. We are just not to be of the world. After all, we are ambassadors of Christ.
In giving instruction to the Corinthians, Paul explained,
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1 Corinthians 5:9-10
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1 Corinthians 5:9-10
Paul explained that there is no way to escape from those who are of the world, who speak lies, who approve of evil -- unless we leave the world.
However, by seeking the Lord, as we have been learning in Colossians 2 and 3 and elsewhere, we are insulated from the effects of the sin all around us. To fail to recognize this, to fail to insulate ourselves, we are in danger of being conformed to the pattern of this world.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,
let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:1-16
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,
let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:1-16
What I saw recently was Chocolate Cheerios! Cheerios once seemed like the most simple and "healthy" type of cereal you could purchase. It remained pretty plain, I read, for about 40 years. This new chocolate variety has been reformulated. It has different ingredients altogether. And it is an attempt by merchandizers to gain more sales, not to increase consumer nutrition or value. Although it still bears the "Heart Healthy" logo, it has 1/3 the fiber and much more sugar that the original -- so healthy is kind of a stretch. (Not that I am any kind of health expert, of course.)
The point is not to say we should never eat Chocolate Cheerios. Most of us celebrate birthdays and have ice cream on hot days (or other days!). In moderation, there is usually no problem. If such products meet our calculated purposes for dessert, celebrations, special treats, fine! Yum!
However, most of us realize that in regularly choosing such items as a food staple, there can be problems. If our children demand or whine for such things, there can be problems. If we purchase these things simply to keep our children quiet, we are putting them on a dangerous path. Heed the lesson of the Ovaltine commercials! However, this is precisely what food manufacturers are hoping for. By remembering this principle, and by teaching this to our children, we are insulated from false ideas as we shop. We buy the truth! That is, we make our decisions independent of slick marketing techniques (to the best of our ability).
Hmm... While an occasional treat is not necessarily wrong (unless perhaps you are violating your conscience because of other goals or priorities the Lord has given you), can the same be said for occasional laxity on standards of modesty? That is, not merely being less-formal, but actually less than modest? Taking it further, how about an occasional film with nudity or obscenties? Or an occasional lotto ticket??
How could we make such decisions while ensuring we are not just being swayed by pragmatism or compromise or even plain-old temptation?
This is an area where we are protected and insulated from such temptations when our affections are set on things above.
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