I love donuts. Chocolate glazed with chocolate icing is my favorite. Mmmm. I like sugar-covered cream-filled donuts, too. But if I were to eat only donuts every day…not only would I have to fill my closet with stretchy pants, but I’d also be miserable! I need proteins, vegetables, grains in my diet. I need solid good-for-me foods to stay healthy.

Sometimes, though, in our spiritual lives, we are content with “devotional donuts.” Instead of feasting on the solid meat of God’s amazing word, we maintain a steady diet of devotions that are light and tasty. They make us feel good – for a little while – but they are easily forgotten and they don’t really help us build the spiritual muscle needed to face life’s challenges.

I know — the Bible is tough. It is confusing. But I also know that students read tough, confusing works all the time. You have to. Your textbooks are tough and confusing. The literature books your English teacher makes you read are tough and confusing. And let’s not even talk about math! I still break out in hives every time I hear “quadratic equation.” But you read them, you study them, because you know it is important to master that material, to get good grades so you can get into a good college and (hopefully!) get a decent job.

So forget the excuses. Ignore them. And study God’s word. Really study it. Go to your local Christian bookstore and find a study that goes through a book of the bible or addresses a biblical topic. I prefer the ones with fill-in-the-blanks – they help me stay focused. There are many wonderful books like that. And they aren’t expensive — usually $15 or less. And the rewards are amazing. Your faith is strengthened, your love for God and for others is strengthened. And you begin to hunger for the “meat” of God’s word even more. Not that the occasional “devotional donut” isn’t still delicious. But your Christian life shouldn’t be filled with those. They are a treat, an appetizer, but not the main course.

So trade in your spiritual stretchy pants for some walking shoes! It is a decision you will never regret.