Fake Sugar and Real Temptation

In 1st John 2, the author outlines three general areas in which we face temptation, our areas of vulnerability:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.   In our own wisdom, we regard areas that could be good for us, but are actually sinful.  And, we can be thankful that we have access to the Holy Spirit, who is the discerner, the convictor, the helper, and the counselor, who will guide us in matters of the heart - He will show us what is in our best interest, and more importantly, in God's best interest, and He will caution us against participating in certain behaviors that will be detrimental to us and not glorify God.  A goal of our spiritual life is to learn to pay attention to the leading of the Spirit, which is always consistent with God's Word, and allow Him to guide us in our ways.


The serpent came to Adam and Eve in the garden, and used the lust of the flesh and the eyes, and the pride of life, in other words, they were vulnerable to wanting to be their own Lord...here's the narrative from Genesis 3:
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.


I will tell you, I really like Tim Challies' blog, especially his "a la Carte" section.   And, today's installment linked to a piece on the New Republic website about the threats, real and perceived, about diet soda.

There is some evidence out there from studies that drinking diet soda doesn't seem to lead to losing weight; in fact, there are signs it does the opposite.  The data to support this bolder, more disturbing claim—that fake sugar can be fattening— come from several long-term studies, conducted on many thousands of participants starting in the 1970s and 1980s.

The piece goes on to say that:

If low-calorie sweeteners are fattening, then we could be on the verge of a spiraling disaster. The bigger we get (and the greater our incidence of diabetes), the more of these sweeteners we'll consume. That in turn will make us bigger, and more interested in diet products, and bigger still forevermore. But scientists have not yet proved that sugar substitutes make us fat. 

But the evidence is not universal - for instance, it is pointed out that between 1999 and 2008, obesity rates in the U.S. finally leveled off as the use of artificial sweeteners doubled among children and went up by 29 percent among adults.   So, the conclusion is that we are still in a fake sugar stalemate - it could be good for you, but then again, it couldn't.

In light of this debate over New York City Mayor Bloomberg's attempt to ban soft drinks over 16 ounces and a judge's finding that the proposed law was "arbitrary and capricious", we are discussing what's good for us, what's not good, and how we deal with it.   I'm uncomfortable with the government telling me what I can or cannot drink, but I'm not sure I disagree with the mayor's latest proposal to keep retailers from publicly displaying tobacco products. 

And, I certainly appreciate Nicole Weider and Victoria Hearst for their continued campaign against displaying Cosmopolitan magazine without the cover hidden.  I appreciated one local retailer that my wife and I visited the other night that actually had their Cosmo's not in plain sight - well done!

Sensible official regulations can actually be good for our society at large when people are not exercising their choices wisely - the sticking point is, where do you draw the line?

Scripture offers us clear direction on right and wrong, good and evil, what can be and what can't be in our best interest.  There are many things in this world that are not good for us and can cause our spiritual life to suffer.  And, we have to be sensitive to the Great Regulator - the Holy Spirit, who will teach us right from wrong.   The Bible has a strong prescription for those areas in which we indulge, and will caution us against potentially destructive behaviors - if we will only listen, being sensitive to Him as our guide.   If we praying about more of our decisions and paid attention to the inner voice of God's Spirit, then we will be apt to make wise choices and participate in a lifestyle that is pleasing to Him.