The healthy choice of Godliness

There are two paths in life - the narrow path that leads to God, and the wide path that leads to destruction. With just those two facts, it's easy to choose the narrow path. But the thing is, the wider path often offers promises of easy fortune, less work, a chance to move ahead, instant pleasure, and other rewards. The path to God takes a lot of work, you may never get rich or gain a lot of attention, and there will be plenty of times when the earthly suffering outweighs the earthly reward. But when you look at the big picture, it's clear that the narrow path is the right path to take. This is because the ultimate satisfaction is based on your relationship with God, whereas the wide path leans on materialistic things for joy...and there's never enough. 

This truth became clear to me when I thought about it in terms of food. Right now, I'm focusing on eating well. My natural inclination is to reach for sweets, processed snacks, all the carbs, etc. If I'm in a social gathering, the impulse is even greater. Everyone else around me is eating these decadent treats, why can't I? 

And so I indulge, believing I will feel better. And upon the first taste, I DO feel better. The food is delicious. Sometimes it takes my breath away, it's so good. As long as it's in front of me, I can't stop thinking about it. And so I finish that piece of food. 

But then...I feel terrible. I feel the burden I have just placed on my body, sure that the weight is already showing up. I feel sluggish, unable to move fast. The thought of exercise overwhelms me. Sometimes I even get physically ill, having eaten food I know doesn't agree with my body. Unfortunately, my mind doesn't want to listen to what my body is telling me, and I continue to crave the food that isn't good with me. 

However, staying away from all those bad-for-me foods is slowly shifting my way of thinking. As long as I refrain from eating bad, it's easy to stick to healthy eating. And while I don't experience  that instant burst of exciting enjoyment I get from desserts or fatty foods, I do get a growing satisfaction from the healthy foods. And I can bank on the fact that these wholesome feelings won't go away.  

When our focus is on God, our joy remains - even when times are tough. But when our focus is on materialistic things or the promises of the wide path, our joy is short lived. The satisfaction wanes until the next big high can be achieved. 

Choose the narrow path. Choose God. Choose a forever kind of joy, one you can depend on no matter the curcumstance. And while you're at it, choose health, as well.