Rice Krispie Religion

            Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Pet 2:2, 3).

Rice Krispies cereal has been popular for so many generations since 1928 and is still going strong. I have always enjoyed the “snap, crackle and pop” when one adds milk to the cereal and it explodes with a myriad of sounds.

One can hear a lot of wonderful “snap, crackle and pop” when a person first comes to know our Lord Jesus Christ, when the pure milk of the gospel is poured into a receptive rice kernel. The “snap, crackle and pop” experienced by new believers is also similar to the feelings of those in love and newly married.

That feeling of first love is exciting, passionate and leaves a deep impression on our hearts. We are lifted up to new emotional highs and are filled with overflowing joy and love. However, in our relationship with God and with our spouse, as powerful as those initial feelings are, they will not always be enough to sustain a healthy growing relationship.

The key to establishing a growing relationship with God and our spouse is in our continual growth and progression into maturity. We should be watchful not to let either relationship stand still and become like soggy Rice Krispies, no longer snapping, crackling or popping.

We get mired down when we put our own desires and needs above that of God or our spouse. Self-centered behavior can lead us to be overcome by the assaults of our flesh, the world, or the devil. When we fail to continually soak up the pure spiritual milk of the gospel or the love of our spouse, we find that the original excitement and passion in the relationship will also disappear; all that is left is a bowl of bland and soggy Rice Krispies.

In our relationship with God, the “snap, crackle and pop” of passion can be sustained by daily nourishment by His Word and Spirit. Let us constantly remember His compassion and mercy as we grow to know the fullness of Christ day by day. For God’s compassions never fail and are new every morning. His faithfulness is so great that a lifetime is not long enough for us to understand it.

In our relationship with our spouses, we need to be united by the love of Christ. Many times our own love has limitations. Only the true example of a self-less love can remind us what it means to love and can maintain the “snap, crackle and pop” in our life together.

            Questions for Reflection:

What are some ways to ensure that we can keep growing in spiritual maturity and sustain a healthy relationship with God?

What are some ways to keep the “snap, crackle and pop” in our relationship with our spouse?