How can we avoid becoming "fat and sleek" in our spiritual lives? Setting the Scene Jeremiah 5:28 paints a piercing picture: “They have grown fat and sleek; indeed, they surpass the deeds of the wicked. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless so they might prosper, nor do they defend the rights of the needy.” The Lord is exposing leaders who became spiritually overfed—self-satisfied, complacent, untouched by the pain around them. That warning still echoes today. What “Fat and Sleek” Looks Like Today • Content with head knowledge but cold toward hurting people • Quick to enjoy blessings, slow to steward them for God’s purposes • More excited about personal comfort than kingdom advance • Blind to sin because success and ease have dulled conviction (cf. Revelation 3:17-19) Symptoms of Spiritual Flabbiness • Diminished appetite for Scripture (Deuteronomy 8:10-14) • Prayer reduced to crisis management rather than daily dependence (Proverbs 30:8-9) • Generosity replaced by accumulation (1 Timothy 6:17-19) • Indifference toward injustice and the vulnerable (James 1:27) Guardrails Against Spiritual Obesity • Daily self-examination—invite the Spirit to search and expose complacency (Psalm 139:23-24) • Regular fasting—remind the body and soul that bread alone never satisfies (Matthew 4:4) • Rhythms of sacrificial giving—break the grip of material ease (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) • Serving the “least of these”—keep compassion active and muscles of mercy toned (Isaiah 58:6-10) Practices That Keep Us Lean and Ready 1. Read widely, apply specifically • Move from merely highlighting verses to obeying them the same day. 2. Pray with open eyes • Walk the neighborhood, pray over what you see—empty playgrounds, homeless encampments, single-parent homes. 3. Schedule generosity • Set percentage giving that stretches faith, review it yearly, increase when God increases you. 4. Adopt a cause, not a fad • Commit long-term—foster care advocacy, refugee tutoring, crisis-pregnancy support—so service becomes lifestyle, not event. 5. Keep testimonies current • Share fresh stories of God’s work weekly; stale testimonies reveal stalled growth. 6. Choose discomfort on purpose • Short-term missions, difficult conversations about sin, mentoring someone unlike you—all sharpen spiritual edges. Staying Trim for the Long Run The Lord’s desire is not that His people live starved lives, but that they steward every blessing. As we feed on His Word, exercise faith through obedience, and pour resources into justice and mercy, we remain spiritually agile—ready for every good work (Titus 2:14). |
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