Lent: Facing the Stomach Gods

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. ~ Philippians 3:18-19

Often we give up something we enjoy; a vice of some sort that we know is a pleasing and distracting indulgence. These indulgences take our hearts and bind them to earthly things. It can become godlike as we turn to it for comfort rather than to God for restoration. For some it’s chocolate, others alcohol, still others pornography or costly apparel. There are a million ways to divert our heart away from what our heart truly needs… a right relationship with God.

The apostle James reminds us that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4) and Jesus taught that where your treasure is there your heart will be also (Mat. 6: 21). Treasure is not simply money, for what is money but the means to gain earthly things? No, treasure is what our hearts desire, what we love in this world. Our relationship to earthly things is related to the Greek concept of Eros. It is a desiring, alluring affection.

Don’t get me wrong. God’s creation is filled with good things and all these good things should be enjoyed and give us glad hearts. Psalm 104:15 celebrates God’s good work.

wine that gladdens the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine,

and bread that sustains his heart.

But when these good things become the main source of comfort, when we hit the malls for retail therapy, we are turning to stomach gods! We are bound to our desires. The sad thing about this common human weakness is that we are trying to fill a spiritual need with a material solution. We have a God-shaped hole in each of us that only the living God can fill. So when we turn to the stomach gods, the alluring affection for earthly things, we remain empty. There may be an immediate pleasure, but it does not sustain. And the next time the pleasure fix will require bigger and better experiences with our material solution to our spiritual needs. That’s why Paul pities those who are focused on earthly things. They are going nowhere on this spiritual journey.

But there are those who are wise enough to recognize that nothing in this mortal plain satisfies the hungry heart. Lent is the opportunity for us to join with others in following the apostle’s example of prayer, fasting, meditation and devotion as we prepare for a sharing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Read all of Philippians Chapter 3 and discuss with your spouse what you believe may be a stomach god in your life. How are you going to join with others in this Lenten journey toward resurrection?