Jesus Plus Twinkies?

The headlines over the last few weeks have been somewhat alarming. Hurricanes, political scandals, the escalating middle-east crisis, the recent Presidential election that left half the country reeling. And just when you think “that’s it, I can’t stand anymore “– you hear that the Hostess Company is closing its doors and the demise of Ding Dongs and Twinkies is imminent!

Upon news of the company’s closing, hundreds of people lined up outside local Hostess stores stockpiling Ding Dongs and Twinkies like doomsday preppers anticipating Armageddon. If we can believe the statistics, Twinkies supposedly have a 35-year shelf life, so perhaps that is the motivation behind the sudden run on cream-filled snack cakes. Or perhaps there are those that simply can’t live without their nightly Ding Dong fix before bedtime and a Little Debbie snack cake simply won’t do, so they must amass a cache of Ding Dongs.

For me, merely entertaining ideas of waiting in long lines for anything (including smoking hot Black Friday Christmas deals) only makes me want to eat Twinkies to assuage my anxiety – not wait in line to buy Twinkies.

Those attacks of fear that have us succumbing to the lies of the enemy would have us believe we are a world without hope if we can no longer run to the Q T for a Suzy Q or a loaf of Wonder Bread. Is the dismantling of a snack cake company really such cause for alarm?

During his message this past weekend, Pastor Brian posed the question of what we need in life to feel secure besides Jesus – a “Jesus plus something” equation, if you will. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I thought of all the people racing to the stores to buy out Hostess cupcakes and donuts. To many it would appear that they need Jesus plus Twinkies.

While I can laugh at the gullibility of people that believe the demise of Ding Dongs is the end of the world, I’ve been just as guilty as they by succumbing to fears in other areas of life. I’m no stranger to the panic created by the news media with their doom and gloom predictions. The news headlines would have us believe the delicate balance of life has shifted to the extreme and we are people operating under a pendulum of fear.

If we’re not careful, many of us can find ourselves giving in to that fear and hopelessness. In the last few weeks as I’ve pondered the news headlines, I find myself stopping before I react to meditate. I chew on the certainty of 1 Timothy 1:7 that reminds me God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

When the temptation arises to worry about the 16 trillion dollar deficit I remember, I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1) When I look to the future and what the next four years will mean with a president who has a less than stellar performance rating; rather than imagining the worst, I choose to give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)

While I’ve been guilty of taking a few laps around the panic pool lately regarding the disturbing headlines, I know that my hope is not in red states or blue states; elephants or donkeys; politicians … or Ding Dongs … or Twinkies. Thinking on all of those will likely trigger stomach aches — not promote peace. Where is my hope? What is my Jesus plus something? I choose Jesus plus Jesus, because you can never have too much Jesus and His shelf life is infinitely longer than Ding Dongs and Twinkies combined.

A great way to take our minds off our own worries and fears is to volunteer at the Vineyard Church Thanksgiving outreach on Tuesday evening, November 20th. Meeting the needs of others and sharing the love of Christ to the lost and confused is a great recipe for eliminating stress. May you be blessed this Thanksgiving holiday with the gift of compassion and love.

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy K.
www.katheenkurlin.com