Articles
"YOU GOT GARLIC IN YOUR SOUL"
Galatians 5:20-21 "idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God"
I was listening to a song the other day on a holiday music station, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." There is a line that caught my attention. It says, "You got garlic in your soul." I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, other than it's not good. It sounds corrupt, evil, and wrong. And that brings us to our verses today.
Paul warned the Galatian Christians about what we call the "works of the flesh." There are behaviors, attitudes and "garlic of the soul" that will keep one from Heaven. I find it interesting that he reminds Christians about these things. Most of us would assume that if a person is in Christ, then they have left these things already. Apparently not. The carnal spirit was alive among the Corinthian Christians. Later in Galatians, we would find warnings about "biting and devouring one another." John would warn about hating others. Just because a person has believed that Jesus is the Son of God and has obeyed Him in baptism, doesn't mean that his insides magically change. Often, little is done to change the insides. And the results are "garlic in the soul."
You may have witnessed sour behavior out of Christians. It's shocking and sometimes we think, "Why don't they know better?" The answer is obvious, they haven't changed their insides. They haven't put off the old man as the Ephesians were told. They haven't walked in a new life as the Romans were told. They were baptized but they continued on with their selfish ways. Jealous, envious, angry, gossiping, dividing the ranks, this sort of garlic in the soul keeps a congregation from reaching it's potential. Such a church is handicapped. These internal attitudes will cripple any good that a congregation tries to do. It doesn't take very long for a person to recognize things aren't right in a congregation. Tension, mean talking, hard feelings come to the surface rapidly and the damage that these do is profound. Hurt feelings. A spirit of not being welcomed by some.
Unless the Galatians changed, many of them, although they were Christians, would not make it. They became their own worst enemy. It makes us wonder how many of us will make it? A church house full on Sunday is a great sight, but Christ living in us on a Thursday is a better sight. Letting the word of Christ richly dwell within you is the key. These things are a matter of choice. We choose to grow, excel and become like Christ or we choose to remain pretty much just as we are.
If you take a car to the car wash, you can clean the outside and make it shine so nice. But if the engine is knocking, and it's burning oil and doesn't start half the time, clean on the outside doesn't fix the inside. The hood must be raised and some attention given to the motor. The same thing goes for us. We can look good on a Sunday, but listen to what we are saying. Watch how we act during the week. Maybe it's time to raise the hood on our hearts and give some attention to our souls.
Let's leave the garlic soul to the Grinch. If you watch the cartoon version, you'll notice at the end, even the ole' Grinch changes on the inside. His heart grows and he becomes loveable, kind and generous. If the Grinch can do it, just imagine what we can do with Christ and His word working on us.
