Fast Food FaithChikamu

Fast food is as much a part of American culture as football, freedom, and bad reality TV shows. Whether you live in a small town or a large city, you can pretty much find a fast food restaurant anywhere in the US. Why? Because fast food is convenient, quick, and tastes amazing. And in an increasingly fast-paced culture, those three elements meet the needs of many people who don’t have time to do anything else but run in and out of a drive-thru. But the American foundation of convenience, speed, and hyper-palatability isn’t the foundation to a lasting faith; yet based on our actions, many Christians would beg to differ. And, as result, we’re becoming spiritually out of shape consumers who view faith development as a Sunday morning drive-thru service that never inconveniences us, is quick enough to accommodate our increasingly overloaded schedules, and tastes good, but offers no real nutritional value to our soul.

What does that concept look really like, then, when we apply it to our faith?

• We view our faith as something that is very convenient. We rarely do anything that goes out our way to grow our faith apart from a very convenient church service once or twice a week where we just go and sit and consume. Order up Pastor!
• Luckily, the process of ordering that delicious Word burger from the Pastor is quick. 2 hours out of 168 hours a week for faith development? Sign me up.
• This all leads to curating a faith life that feels and tastes good. Surrounding yourself with things and people who make you feel good, but lack any nutritional value to your soul.

Morgan Spurlock in the 2004 documentary Super Size Me conducted a health experiment where for 30 days, he ate only McDonald’s for every meal. And it wouldn’t surprise you to find out that at the end of the challenge, Morgan gained nearly 25 pounds and experienced significant physical and mental health problems through it all. But that, my friends, is the current state of the union. It seems as if most people in the church are bent on choosing the markers of fast food faith over living a slow, intentional life of discipleship. And the compounding result of that is that we are NOT healthy. We’re waking up with lethargy and angst. We’re spiritually out of shape.

But to be avid followers of Christ requires that we be disciplined and resist secular expectations - even if that secular culture has bled into the American church. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul states that, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” The Message translation of that verse puts it this way: “No lazy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” What a (surprisingly) counter-cultural way of looking at your spiritual development. Resist the urge to accept the cultural norm and fight with all your might, spiritual laziness and apathy. Your mind, soul, and body will thank you for it.

As we step into this Bible study, do a heart inventory today on the aspect(s) of fast food faith that you most identify with and struggle with.