Charles Osgood, part-time theologian and full-time repository of wisdom and wit, offered some reflections on diet guidelines released by the American Heart Association. The AHA concluded that the proponents of healthy eating were too strict in pushing their diet plans. The result was that whenever someone got off the diet for one meal they felt like such abject failures that they considered jumping off a tall building or playing a little game of Russian roulette. The AHA suggested that we ought to be more realistic when it comes to dealing with human nature. This inspired the following words by Osgood:
“We are our own worst enemies, as anyone can see.
We don’t act as we know we should. What fools we mortals be!
We know the things we should not eat, I think it’s safe to say,
But nonetheless, when tempted to, we eat them anyway.
And that’s the way it is with us. The human situation
Is that we can resist anything except, of course, temptation.
And when we stray and eat, let’s say, a hamburger surprise,
We feel so bad we also add an order of cheese fries.
And since we’ve been so terrible, how much more could it hurt
To have it with a milk shake and a nice, gooey dessert?â€
One thing, you have to say about Osgood is that he understands human nature. Reminds me of Paul’s words when he wrote, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing†(Rom. 7:18-19).
In light of this human weakness, Osgood offered this observation:
“Such is the mind of humankind. Our willpower is weak.
On this I am an expert and I know whereof I speak.
So I was rather pleased to see the guidelines out today
From the Heart Association, the respected AHA.
The recommended maximum of cholesterol and fat
Hasn’t been changed; oh no, they aren’t giving up on that.
But if one day you chance to stray, as sometimes we all do,
Well, now they say you’ll be okay if, the next day or two,
You go back to the regimen you know very well you should.
If you’ve been bad, in other words, go back to being good.
Go back to eating right as quickly as you can,
Since perfection isn’t one of the known qualities of man.
And if you slip a little now, they say, don’t give up hope,
For perfection means too steep and far too slippery a slope.â€
I’d say the same about living the Christian life. Perfection ought to be your aim, but when you fail to achieve it, don’t give up hope. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Failure is not final in the kingdom. Trust the God of grace!
