Every Fourth of July, our family does what many families do. We gather. We laugh. We eat far too much.

This year, there were twenty-four of us together, and somewhere between the hamburgers, fireworks, and backyard games, someone had what seemed like a brilliant idea.

"Let's have an eating contest."

Not just any eating contest—a showdown.

Two brave (or perhaps slightly overconfident) young men squared off in a hot dog eating contest while two others accepted an even more ambitious challenge: eat an entire watermelon.

Now, I love watermelon. Cold. Juicy. Sweet. It's one of my favorite parts of summer.

But apparently no one had ever asked the important question:

Can you actually eat too much watermelon?

The answer?

Absolutely.

For the next twenty minutes our family became instant sports commentators.

"He's slowing down!"

"Don't give up!"

"One more slice!"

"I think he's negotiating with himself!"

At first, everyone looked confident.

Ten minutes later, they looked uncomfortable.

Fifteen minutes later they looked deeply concerned about the life choices that had brought them to this moment.

By twenty minutes, every competitor tapped out.

The hot dogs won.

The watermelon won.

No humans won.

One of my poor sons has informed us he isn't sure he ever wants to see another watermelon again.

Honestly, I don't blame him.

It turns out that even something wonderful can become miserable when we consume more than we were designed to handle.

Sometimes We Carry More Than We Were Meant To

The older I get, the more I realize this isn't just true of watermelon.

Sometimes we overload ourselves with work.

With entertainment.

With scrolling.

With commitments.

Even good things become unhealthy when they crowd out the best thing.

We live in a culture that constantly tells us more is better.

More information.

More productivity.

More accomplishments.

More experiences.

More notifications.

But Jesus offers a different invitation.

Only Jesus Truly Satisfies

Jesus reminded His followers that life isn't about filling ourselves with everything the world offers. It's about discovering what truly satisfies.

Our hearts were never designed to be filled by more possessions, more achievements, or even more fun.

They were designed to be filled by Christ.

I've discovered that spiritual health isn't usually about adding more to my schedule.

Sometimes it's about making room.

Making room to hear God.

Making room to rest.

Making room to notice His goodness.

Making room to be satisfied by Him instead of endlessly consuming something else.

My son may not want another bite of watermelon for weeks.

But I've never once regretted spending time with Jesus.

Some things leave us overstuffed.

Jesus always leaves us full.

This Week's Faith Habit

This week, set aside just ten minutes.

Leave your phone inside.

Sit on your porch, your deck, a park bench, or even your front steps.

Notice God's creation.

Feel the breeze.

Listen to the birds.

Watch the clouds.

Then thank God for three specific gifts you've overlooked lately.

Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do isn't consume more.

It's slow down long enough to remember that God has already surrounded us with His goodness.

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