Carrot Cake and Spiritual Dissonance
This past Saturday, Fran and I took our son Jason and his lovely wife Janine to dinner in celebration of Jason’s 34th birthday. Afterwards we returned to their home for the traditional singing of “Happy Birthday” and a slice of delicious carrot cake, which Janine had baked. The moment I took the first bite of the cake, I experienced what might be referred to as “Dietary Dissonance”. Let me explain…
A few weeks ago, I resolved to lose some weight. Over the last ten years or so, I have gradually added “a little here, a little there”, and found myself about ten pounds heavier than I should be. For someone with high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease, this is not a good thing. I have been aware of the extra weight for some time now, but it took me a while to reach the point where I was willing to actually do something. What I decided to do was to conduct myself in a manner consistent with a fundamental truth regarding caloric intake and expenditure: “One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight.” This is a well known fact – a “dietary truth claim” of sorts, and I believe it to be true. Starting a few weeks ago, I began to ACT according to this truth, and I started to pay attention to my caloric intake vs. caloric expenditure. I have been tracking calories, and for the most part keeping the intake less than the expenditure. Not surprisingly, I have lost some weight.
Note what happened here:
First, I resolved to lose weight.
Then, I connected with the truth (One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight) and I believed the truth.
Then I made my actions consistent with the truth and my belief.
“Dissonance” is defined as “inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions”. This is why I say I experienced “Dietary Dissonance” last Saturday. By the time we reached the dessert phase of the evening, I knew that I was already well over the desired caloric intake for the day. I knew that cake tends to be high in calories. I ATE IT ANYWAY. My action (eating the carrot cake) was not consistent with my belief (one must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight). Here is how I rationalized this inconsistency:
“It’s Jason’s birthday.”
“Janine went to all this trouble!”
“It’s the weekend.”
“One time won’t hurt.”
For most of us, there are times of “Spiritual Dissonance” in our lives – circumstances where our actions are not consistent with our Christian beliefs. I know in my own life this happens far too often. In fact, there are times when I amaze myself in how drastically different my actions can be from my beliefs. Sometimes it seems like the harder I try, the worse it gets!
I do not understand this “Spiritual Dissonance” in my life. For the most part, I know the truth. I believe the truth. I resolve to live in accordance with the truth. But it seems that there are times when I just can’t do it! I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 7:15-21:
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Do you think Paul was experiencing “Spiritual Dissonance”?
Paul possessed a divine perspective on this matter that I, and perhaps you, often lack – he understood the reality of his sin nature. He said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” (v.18) My guess is that our lives would look much different if we would consistently reconnect with this truth claim. This is absolutely essential in our quest to live as God’s ambassadors.
My problem is that I follow the same process in trying to live a Godly life that I follow in trying to lose weight:
First, I resolve to grow and develop spiritually. Then, I connect with the truth, and I believe the truth. Then I try to make my actions consistent with the truth and my belief. This is where it all falls apart, because “I” am too small and ill-equipped for the task.
This isn’t counting calories. It isn’t about whether I can and should say “no” to carrot cake. This is about the epic spiritual battle in which you and I are engaged every minute of every day. When I walk onto that battleground, and all I bring is my will, my discipline, and my resolve, I bring something else with me. I bring my sin nature, and I find that even though “I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”
So what are we to do?
In anguish and frustration, Paul cried out “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Then he shares with us the answer to his question: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Rescue from the sin nature comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Note that Paul didn’t say “through Jesus Christ.” He said “Jesus Christ our Lord.” When Jesus is Lord of our lives, He is the master and we are in the position of a submissive servant. The submissive servant recognizes the master’s rightful place of authority, and humbly ranks himself under that authority. It is from this position that we find ourselves equipped to live in a manner consistent with our Christian beliefs.
When I am not in a position of humble submission to God, I experience a lot of “Spiritual Dissonance”. This is because my pride has taken over as I attempt to operate on the basis of my strength and my will. I wonder when I will learn this simple truth: There must be less of me. More of Him.
In Christ –
John
Soli Dei Gloria
P.S. I had another piece of carrot cake on Sunday.
This past Saturday, Fran and I took our son Jason and his lovely wife Janine to dinner in celebration of Jason’s 34th birthday. Afterwards we returned to their home for the traditional singing of “Happy Birthday” and a slice of delicious carrot cake, which Janine had baked. The moment I took the first bite of the cake, I experienced what might be referred to as “Dietary Dissonance”. Let me explain…
A few weeks ago, I resolved to lose some weight. Over the last ten years or so, I have gradually added “a little here, a little there”, and found myself about ten pounds heavier than I should be. For someone with high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease, this is not a good thing. I have been aware of the extra weight for some time now, but it took me a while to reach the point where I was willing to actually do something. What I decided to do was to conduct myself in a manner consistent with a fundamental truth regarding caloric intake and expenditure: “One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight.” This is a well known fact – a “dietary truth claim” of sorts, and I believe it to be true. Starting a few weeks ago, I began to ACT according to this truth, and I started to pay attention to my caloric intake vs. caloric expenditure. I have been tracking calories, and for the most part keeping the intake less than the expenditure. Not surprisingly, I have lost some weight.
Note what happened here:
First, I resolved to lose weight.
Then, I connected with the truth (One must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight) and I believed the truth.
Then I made my actions consistent with the truth and my belief.
“Dissonance” is defined as “inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions”. This is why I say I experienced “Dietary Dissonance” last Saturday. By the time we reached the dessert phase of the evening, I knew that I was already well over the desired caloric intake for the day. I knew that cake tends to be high in calories. I ATE IT ANYWAY. My action (eating the carrot cake) was not consistent with my belief (one must take in fewer calories than one expends, in order to lose weight). Here is how I rationalized this inconsistency:
“It’s Jason’s birthday.”
“Janine went to all this trouble!”
“It’s the weekend.”
“One time won’t hurt.”
For most of us, there are times of “Spiritual Dissonance” in our lives – circumstances where our actions are not consistent with our Christian beliefs. I know in my own life this happens far too often. In fact, there are times when I amaze myself in how drastically different my actions can be from my beliefs. Sometimes it seems like the harder I try, the worse it gets!
I do not understand this “Spiritual Dissonance” in my life. For the most part, I know the truth. I believe the truth. I resolve to live in accordance with the truth. But it seems that there are times when I just can’t do it! I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 7:15-21:
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Do you think Paul was experiencing “Spiritual Dissonance”?
Paul possessed a divine perspective on this matter that I, and perhaps you, often lack – he understood the reality of his sin nature. He said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” (v.18) My guess is that our lives would look much different if we would consistently reconnect with this truth claim. This is absolutely essential in our quest to live as God’s ambassadors.
My problem is that I follow the same process in trying to live a Godly life that I follow in trying to lose weight:
First, I resolve to grow and develop spiritually. Then, I connect with the truth, and I believe the truth. Then I try to make my actions consistent with the truth and my belief. This is where it all falls apart, because “I” am too small and ill-equipped for the task.
This isn’t counting calories. It isn’t about whether I can and should say “no” to carrot cake. This is about the epic spiritual battle in which you and I are engaged every minute of every day. When I walk onto that battleground, and all I bring is my will, my discipline, and my resolve, I bring something else with me. I bring my sin nature, and I find that even though “I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”
So what are we to do?
In anguish and frustration, Paul cried out “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Then he shares with us the answer to his question: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Rescue from the sin nature comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Note that Paul didn’t say “through Jesus Christ.” He said “Jesus Christ our Lord.” When Jesus is Lord of our lives, He is the master and we are in the position of a submissive servant. The submissive servant recognizes the master’s rightful place of authority, and humbly ranks himself under that authority. It is from this position that we find ourselves equipped to live in a manner consistent with our Christian beliefs.
When I am not in a position of humble submission to God, I experience a lot of “Spiritual Dissonance”. This is because my pride has taken over as I attempt to operate on the basis of my strength and my will. I wonder when I will learn this simple truth: There must be less of me. More of Him.
In Christ –
John
Soli Dei Gloria
P.S. I had another piece of carrot cake on Sunday.
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John, thanks for the recap. It makes perfect sense to me! ...but then I wasn't in class. Seriously, well said - we need a steady diet of Christ's Lordship in order to exercise His strength in our lives.
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