{"id":3444,"date":"2017-02-21T00:52:22","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T06:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=3444"},"modified":"2017-02-21T00:52:22","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T06:52:22","slug":"cotton-candy-christianity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2017\/02\/21\/cotton-candy-christianity\/","title":{"rendered":"Cotton Candy Christianity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faith is not cotton candy.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know this because I know how cotton candy works. In fact, I\u2019m sure a lot of us do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me give you a bit of backstory: I remember going to Walt Disney World as a child. Even in my family\u2019s recent visits, we\u2019ve always made a point to visit the Main Street Confectionery at the Magic Kingdom. We usually visited that candy shop specifically for the cotton candy. It was a delight made of pink or blue spun sugar, and we made sure to get a few bags \u2013 ones to eat right then, and ones to save at the hotel for later.<\/span><\/p>\n

But we couldn\u2019t save that cotton candy for long, because one, we didn\u2019t let it sit for long without eating it, and two, cotton candy gets old and hard and stale if it\u2019s not eaten for a few days after it\u2019s made. But here\u2019s the thing about cotton candy: once we did eat it, it only lasted a few seconds. Each bite disintegrated just like the last one, and before we knew it, the bags we shared were gone. It was a fleeting pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear readers, faith is not like that at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

And neither is the love God has for us, neither is Jesus\u2019 intercession for us in Heaven, neither are God\u2019s promises for us, and neither is the gift of salvation given to us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at exactly how faith isn\u2019t<\/i> like cotton candy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cotton candy looks tasty, but lasts a moment. Faith is not so.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Cotton candy is quite literally spun sugar. Sugar dissolves. As such, cotton candy \u2013 as wonderful and delightful and sweet as it is \u2013 only lasts a short time before quite literally melting in our mouths. <\/span><\/p>\n

Also, I love the United Kingdom\u2019s name for Cotton Candy: Fairy Floss. I love this name because I\u2019ve always loved fairies ever since I was a little girl, but I think it further illustrates the nature of this confection: like all dreams, no matter how fantastic or magical they are, they too must move on\u2026dissolving, if you will.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faith in God is far more than anything we can dream of. In fact, it\u2019s far from imaginary; it\u2019s real, and we can lean on our it in our brightest and darkest hours. \u201cGod is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble\u201d (Psalm 46:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

Cotton candy is sugary without much substance. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Hebrews 11:1 is widely considered as the standard definition of faith for Christians, and for good reason. This verse begins an entire chapter of a \u201cfaith hall of fame\u201d of those who have had faith in God long before we came into existence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faith did not come easy to these people, however. Abraham had to give up everything \u2013 including his homeland and his own name \u2013 to go to a land God would show him (Hebrews 11:8-9). Sarah had a son in spite of her old age (Hebrews 11:11). Rahab had to place her trust in men she did not know to save her when the time came for her city to be destroyed and be in the hands of God\u2019s people (Hebrews 11:31). And that\u2019s just to name a few.<\/span><\/p>\n

But did God give them everything He promised them? Absolutely. Something that\u2019s fleeting can\u2019t do that for us, but God sure can. We can be assured of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cotton candy is not nutritious in the slightest. God\u2019s Word is the bread of life.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Cotton candy is that: candy<\/i>. It\u2019s not meant for every day; in fact, I think the last time I ate cotton candy was in Disneyworld, and that was about four years ago. If we had cotton candy for breakfast\/lunch\/dinner, not only would we probably crash from all the sugar, but it wouldn\u2019t help our health in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus knew that she\u2019d had a troubled past, but He offered her the living water anyway (John 4:1-26). Also, consider that the day after Jesus fed the five thousand, He explained to a crowd that He was the bread of life, as though He wanted to tell them that there was something even better than the food they were given (John 6:22-59).<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word \u2013 and His promises and love for us \u2013 satisfy us greater than anything in this world can.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the day, cotton candy and faith are polar opposites. While there\u2019s nothing wrong with enjoying the little things, we need to remember that faith is far from small, insignificant, or fleeting. It won\u2019t go the way cotton candy goes; we can rest assured that our faith in God will lead us Heavenward.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Savannah Cottrell<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faith is not cotton candy. I know this because I know how cotton candy works. In fact, I\u2019m sure a lot of us do. Let me give you a bit of backstory: I remember going to Walt Disney World as a child. 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