Spiritual Candy | TGC Article

I’ve always had a sweet tooth. I love desserts of all kinds—especially ice cream. Sweet things are comfortable and sometimes comforting. And since I’m always craving them? Well, they always seem to hit the spot.

But in the last few years I’ve had to strengthen my immune system, which has meant drastically cutting back on sugar. And it’s funny what’s happened.

First, I realized sugar is in absolutely everything. I had no idea how many things I ate—things I thought were good and nourishing for me—that were loaded with sugar and slowly eating away at my overall health. Learning this fact made me all the more thankful for the second thing I noticed: The less sugar I ate, the less I craved it.

But my sweet tooth doesn’t stop with my physical cravings. It spills over into my spiritual life as well. In times of spiritual struggle, I’ve turned to sweet, seemingly true sayings to soothe my spiritual cravings.

I’ve leaned on Pinterest-worthy quotes about how I’m an overcomer who can do anything. In times of spiritual drought, I’ve listened to social-media influencers tell me I already have everything I need within myself. And in times of chaos, I’ve cherished well-intended words from friends reminding me that I’m already stronger than I could ever believe.

In these times of feeling stretched too thin, I’ve reached for sweets: delectable little reminders of how capable I am, how invincible I am, how much I can accomplish. They’re comfortable and comforting. And since I’m always craving them? Well, they always seem to hit the spot.

But these tasty mantras aren’t telling me the whole truth. …

Read the full article today on The Gospel Coalition.