I love Diet Cokes. I don’t drink them every day, but I enjoy them often. Diet Cokes are a substitute for the real deal, Coke Classic. They taste somewhat like Coke, but are not really Coke. Some are okay with that, just enough to quench their thirsts. Diet Coke, though it tastes good and seems good, is not good for you at all. Some studies show they cause more weight gain than regular Cokes.

Have you ever noticed how some people justify their bad eating habits because they drink Diet Coke? They reason, “I am drinking a Diet Coke, so I can eat two cheeseburgers instead of one. I can eat a large fry and a shake now.” “I didn’t get a real Coke, so I can eat those donuts.” Diet Coke, though it appears to be a good thing, is actually not that good at all.

People treat God like Diet Coke. Some people have substituted God for something else. Instead of the real God of the Bible, they fashion God into their personal whims and wishes. They “diet” Him down. Their idea of God is somewhat like God, but not the real thing. For some, they are satisfied with just a taste of God. If they get God on Sunday, that is all they need. They are fine the rest of the week, or so they think.

Then you have some that justify their lifestyle based on their “relationship” with God. They reason, “I can sin because I know God will forgive me.” “I go to church on Sunday, so I can live however I want to the rest of the week.” All of these are lies of course. There is only one God. You cannot substitute Him for something else. You cannot live on just a taste of God. You cannot live anyway you want just because you come to church or are somehow connected to God and religion.

A Diet God is no God at all. A Diet God doesn’t satisfy, nor is it good for you. Go to the real God. Seek Him. Enjoy Him. Make Him known.