Condiment or Meal?

A primary spiritual and practical problem is that we confuse condiments and meals.

Let me try to explain the metaphor.

My kids like to slather lots of butter or jelly on a chunk of bread. The bread, after all, is just a vector for the good part -- the butter! So the layer of butter sometimes approaches the thickness of the bread. (Where did they learn this? From me, of course.) Sometimes I tease the kids by asking, "Would you like a little bread with your butter?"

Really, the bread is the meal, and the butter should just be a condiment.

Please don't get me started on what people do with ketchup. :-)

Jesus is the Bread of Life. The Word of God is our daily bread. Worship in spirit and truth is our meal. Giving ourselves to serve others is our meal.

We spend way too much time on "condiments" -- things which are nice, add a little zip, but shouldn't detract from the real meal. TV is a condiment, not a meal. Use it that way.

What are some other condiments in your life?