Fast Food Religion in a Fast Food World

Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

And 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."


In the popular 2004 documentary Super Size Me, which sought to prove the unhealthiness of McDonald's food, children couldn't identify pictures of Jesus, George Washington or George W. Bush, but could easily recognize Ronald McDonald. In a 2001 book called "Fast Food Nation," it stated that 96% of U.S, schoolchildren can automatically recognize Ronald McDonald. That percentage ALONE should be cause for concern! The author of the book, Eric Schlosser, writes, "The impact of McDonald's on the way we live today is hard to overstate. The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian Cross."  How sad that our children, whom we are to protect, teach and guide, and who are a gift from God Almighty Himself, recognizes the worldly things that are nothing more than a monetary promotional marketing strategy, over the one True God who CREATED!

This information prompted me to take a look at the world we live in with a different set of eyes. Those statistics were from 2001-2004 and even for those times, they were extremely high. As we've progressed, or actually regressed, in time since then, I can only imagine what the stats are now. Think of the fast food industry as a whole for a moment. It's fast, easy, little to no nutritional value, packed with high fat empty calories that weigh you down. Once the food is consumed, you tend to forget about it until a short while later, when you realize the empty calories didn't satisfy you so your belly begins to rumble with hunger again. It wants more food. A vicious cycle. But isn't that what the fast food moguls want us to do? Keep getting hungry for their food, making it easily accessible to us and more so to our children, while their pockets get bigger? Don't get me wrong, businesses and making money is the American way and the fast food industry is no different.

We need to see marketing for what it really is though, and that's to make "suggestions" subliminally, of what we are influenced to buy. The mass media influences people's buying decisions every day and McDonald's has a strong ad campaign....directed not towards the adults who are making these decisions, but towards the children who CAN'T make decisions! Bombard them with images of happiness, fun, happy meal toys and what “appears” to be good food as per Ronald McDonald himself, and do this over and over.....well, they will find the golden arches and Ronald McDonald safe, pleasing and will demand from their parents the fast food happy meals! Which is why they recognize Ronald McDonald more than Jesus Christ who created them and knew them before they were conceived! I believe in this world right now, more people "crave" fast food more than they "crave" walking with Christ.

This is the mentality of a lot of  Christians in the world today as well. People seem to crave everything FAST, without much substance and will speed by life without even noticing they've missed out on all the wonderful blessings and gifts from the Lord. As mentioned above, devouring fast food only leaves you with empty calories and doesn't give you any nutritional substance. Neither does a watered down, feel-good approach to being a Christian that so many leaders are pushing, or "marketing," to their congregants. It's no different. Many don't want to offend, to go against the "societal norm" or to lose their numbers in the seats. But the inerrant word of God is spoken to ALL who has ears to hear and as shepherds, those words really need to be taught the way our Lord intended. However, what these so called shepherds are neglecting to tell their viewers and members is the Gospel is to be taught to fill the hunger, to grow up the body of Christ and to teach that ONLY God's word is TRUTH. The Word of God is meant to convict, to prove us worthy, to draw us closer, to get deeper understandings, to know His love, grace, mercy and sacrifice. How can we know this if we are still drinking milk?

If teaching the Word fully and truthfully in it's complete context is done, not only will Christians hunger be filled, but the truth will prevail in all parts of their lives, not just those areas they WANT substantiated by twisted and misinterpreted scriptures. It will fill their hunger, yes, but it will also have them come back for more MEAT, maturing them from a babe into an adult. The kind of substance that God wants us to chew on is discovered when the apostle Paul used an analogy of weaning for those who grow in knowledge and obedience to God. ALL people will mature at different intervals, having different growing pains, if you will, transitioning from milk to meat, but the important thing is that they DO and that they are exposed to the MEAT in order to grow! This is the essence of learning and growing in a relationship with the Lord and teaching the Word of God!

In 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, it explains this a little clearer, "But I, brothers, could not address you as a spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2) I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3) for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4) For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5) What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8) He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9) For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:2, simply put means in this analogy that he has instructed you in the elements of Christianity - in its simplest and easiest truths; because from the low state of your minds in religious knowledge, you were incapable of comprehending the higher truths of the Gospel: and in this state you will still continue. The apostle thereby exposes them to the absurdity of their conduct in pretending to judge between preacher and preacher, while they had but a very partial acquaintance even with the first principles of Christianity.

There are many references through the Holy Bible about being weaned off of milk into the eating of meat, the solid form of the Scripture. The drinking of milk continually would only stunt your growth per se', and would never move you towards a deeper, more meaningful understanding and relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Much the same way that eating fast food always leaves you hungry for more because of the empty calories that it's all packed with. Several places within the New Testament the Holy Spirit describes God’s Word (doctrine) as both “milk,” and “solid food” (meat).  Since a new-born Christian is directed to grow to spiritual maturity, he or she needs to understand that it's necessary to transition from the “milk” to the “solid food” of the Word.  This kind of growth can't happen any other way.  It's only by the “use” of the “solid food” (meat) of the Word that a Christian may fully discern both good and evil as it is taught in Hebrews 5:14, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." 

In 1 Corinthians 3, we learn that the doctrine of Scripture is divided into two categories, milk for babes and food (meat) for adults.  The carnal Christian can only bear the milk of the Word, whereas the mature Christians savor in the solid food meat of the Word. The milk of the Word is that aspect that is apparent as a babe in Christ reads the Scripture. It's called by many the devotional characteristics of the Word.  The solid food (meat) of the Word is the deeper meaning, and in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 we learn that the solid food (meat) of the Word has to do with rewards (or otherwise the suffering of loss) that are manifested in the coming Kingdom of our Lord.  These rewards are given out on the basis of faithfulness in the service of the Lord. Let's take a look at those verses and see what it says, "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13) each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14) If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15) If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." In Colossians 1:28 Paul gives expression to the fact that he warns and teaches every man in all wisdom, that they might be fully grown when they come to appear before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ.  In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul admonishes Timothy, and it carries on to us today, to study the Word of God, that one may be able to divide aright the Word of Truth.

So if Christians are living in a Fast Food World, being caught up in the worldly things, and are only desiring a Fast Food Religion, then they are NOT experiencing what the Lord desires from us! They are drinking milk, not maturing into the "adults" they were meant to become, and only seeking out the feel-good teachers who will selectively teach the feel-good sermons. What danger that is in the eyes of the Lord! God didn't make "religion",  man did and so too many people forget that the Word is for EVERYONE! God gave His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for EVERYONE, not a specific group. Although identifying as a born again Christian could very well be considered a group in today's society, those who do identify that way, are the sons and daughters of God. His children and in that sense, it's ok to be in that group. I look around in this world and see so many "following" man as though they were stars, idolizing them, instead of following Christ! They don't have the discernment to know they are still being fed milk and until they break from the watered down versions being taught of the Holy Bible, they can't mature! Paul had no desire to appear in the presence of the Lord with a bunch of babes in Christ, but he longed to be able to present them all to the Lord as adults, mature in their thinking pertaining to the things of God, which maturity comes only through the study of the Scriptures.

Everything in this world seems to be moving fast! Everyone can't seem to find time for family or friends much less the One True Creator so it shouldn't surprise me in the least that people are seeking a Fast Food Religion as well! Anything easy, quick and less intrusive! But while they're seeking empty calories, stunting their growth in Christ, I'm going to go chew on some good, solid MEAT! Maybe one day our paths will cross and I will be able to share some of the meat I've eaten with those who still haven't lost their baby teeth.....



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