“OMG, WTH, EWWWWW!” Name something that elicits a response of “Eww, Gross!”
When we discussed Feelings vs. Emotions in week 1, we learned that emotions are visceral reactions that we can’t necessarily stifle. Disgust might be one of those–ever hear this phrase?

Biologically, Disgust can actually protect us (paraphrased from Yahoo! search):

• Pathogen Shield: Evolved to keep humans away from rotting food, waste, blood, and disease vectors.
• Moral & Social Signal: Extends beyond physical items to reject unfairness, cruelty, or the betrayal of trust.
• Sensitivity Differences: People have varying thresholds, meaning some are easily triggered while others remain unaffected.

There are a lot–a LOT–of things that can elicit the response, verbally & well, facially, of disgust. I am “disgusted” by things like stepping in dog poo, eating lima beans, touching something & getting sticky when I’m not expecting it–those are just a few things that I will lose my professionalism over, real quick-like (remind me to tell you the story about the lizard in the living room–yikes!). I think we have all experienced the feeling of being disgusted by something at one point or another (especially if you’ve had kids). Althought the emotion of being disgusted is fleeting, the feeling of disgust can actually be quite toxic & permeate many areas of our lives, throwing us into a “sin spiral” that is consequential.

Biblically, Disgust goes under a few synonyms depending on your translation. “Abomination,” “Loathing,” “Vile,” or “Odious” are found in some translations (personally, any chance I have to use the word “odious” is a win), I usually think about the book of Psalms as a great way to find “disgusting” examples of things in scripture but the truth is, it’s everywhere. We’re kind of a disgusting breed, LOL….how DOES He love us?!?!?

Physically, we learn & we know there are things that push us to that limit, & we generally avoid those things (lima beans). Spiritually, however, we sometimes become fascinated with the things we know are morally abhorrent, & we find ourselves caught in the trap of wanting to know more, and more, and more, until we realize we’re caught in a terrible web only God can free us from. It’s a very dangerous thing to let our curiosity lead us into the territory of “hath God not said?” instead of simply being satisfied with not knowing, but trusting, that God has forbidden some things in His Word.

Deuteronomy 12 discusses this with the Children of Israel (shout-out to Robert in my class who provided this example):

²⁹ “When the Lord your God cuts off and destroys before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and settle in their land, ³⁰ beware that you are not lured (ensnared) into following them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods, so that I too may do likewise?’

The Israelites were commanded to keep their curiosity in check, because the old proverb is right: It killed the cat. I am easily That Cat, and I have to be careful to monitor what I read and query because it sucks me in. Discussing the topic of Disgust is not intended to spiral into a competition of who can tell the worst story or give the worst example, or who is the holiest, etc. Our conversations have to balance compassion & empathy with the parameters of the Word, under the banner and protection of His love & discernment. Sometimes, that means you need to take a gentle step away from the convesation.

I personally sort-of dreaded the topic of Disgust, because I didn’t want it to lean into the drama of listing sins or issues that disgust us. My concern is that it could lead to being judgmental or arrogant; I also didn’t want to inadvertently list a sin that could lead someone into gossip or questioning the moral character of another. I find that certain topics kick off my imagination & it’s a tough time to get it corralled, so I want to tread lightly but still remain transparent. I think everyone has different areas of conviction in some areas–maybe the thought of someone scarfing down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in a gluttonous bender is disgusting to you & you turn up your nose at it, while someone else realizes they’ve gone on that bender because they emotionally can’t process trauma &–we all have varying thresholds, & I want to be empathetic & compassionate, looking at things that cause us to be disgusted–NOT judgmental–through the lens of God’s ultimate parameters. We have to be able to be accountable to one another in love, but not in reasoning out their issue or in any kind of judgment.

A quick Google search defined biblical disgust as: *“a moral and spiritual reaction to sin, idolatry, and rebellion against God:

• Divine Disgust (Abominations): God expresses revulsion toward moral corruption, false idols, and unjust behavior. In Proverbs 6:16-19, the Lord specifically detests seven things, including lying tongues, hands that shed innocent blood, and sowing discord.
• Human Disgust Toward Evil: Believers are called to feel a deep moral aversion to sin. Romans 12:9 instructs Christians to “abhor what is evil” and “cling to what is good.” Similarly, the Psalmist in Psalm 119:158 expresses being disgusted by the treacherous who ignore God’s word.
• Physical and Ceremonial Aversion: Disgust also appears in everyday or ritual contexts, such as the foul smell of the Nile during the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:18) or dietary and ritual laws regarding uncleanness.
• Rejection and Isolation: Prophets like Ezekiel and Nahum describe nations or people turning away from others in disgust due to judgment, ruin, or betrayal (e.g., Ezekiel 23:28, Nahum 3:7).

*Resource: https://biblestudyforyou.com/bible-verses-about-disgust/

This blog by South Fellowship gave a great insight on one of the most frequently listed results of Disgust in the New Testament:

Revelation 3:14-16 discusses the church in Laodecea, who were complacent. They had fallen out of love with Jesus and HIs teachings, living a boring, milktoast life: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:14-16) NIV

Lukewarm water is nasty…but when you look at the culture, it’s even more of a tangible description of just how disgusting the nature of this body had become. The writer of the blog notes that the water in the city would have come from aqueducts from far away, picking up dirt, sediment, and the temperature of the Middle-Eastern countries. If you were used to it, no worries; for a visitor though, it would be gross! Nothing’s worse than thinking you’re getting a cool, refreshing gulp of water on a hot day & getting dirty, lukewarm ugh. I can’t imagine how gross it must have been & I don’t want to.

This church was surrounded by wealth & culture; the author of the blog notes they were the only one of the 7 in Revelation that were not facing persecution. Satan doesn’t bother unproductive people, so they were sitting high-&-mighty, quietly considering themselves part of the Body while embracing the corruption around them.

The warning Jesus gives the church is far more aggressive than we like to think in our modernized culture; He is literally saying He’s gonna barf these people out! I can think of nothing more offensive than serving someone & having them barf it right back up at you–He is OVER their attitudes and nonchalant treatment of His words and His sacrifice, & He is making a strong statement that it’s time to stop riding the fence. It’s a warning we need to carry in our hearts daily, to keep us burning passionately for the King! So, how do we do that? How do we avoid being disgusting to Jesus?!?

I wish this was an easy answer, & there are certainly a lot of blogs that make it out to be a 1-2-3 Easy Step version. The facts are that we are surrounded by distractions that want us to do anything but worship the Lord. From our phones to our laptops and TVs, etc, we are inundated with things that pull our attention & our eyes away from Jesus. We have to make a concentrated, daily effort to seek Jesus in who we are and what we do.

1. Daily time with God: This is an expected answer because it is a required discipline. You can’t ignore a garden & expect it to have an easy harvest (if any at all); maintenance has to happen. Stagnant & marriages come from a lack of communication & transparency; our relationship with Jesus is the same.
2. Fellowship and community with other believers: We lift each other up; we hold up each other’s arms when we’re weary. We hold one another accountable, & we build relationships based on seeing one another grow…again, with transparency and with genuine kindness and care.
3. Regular worship–you can’t be disgusted & lukewarm when you’re worshipping Him! If the style of music isn’t to your liking, find one that is because it’s out there!!!! And worshipping in community is a beautiful, bonding thing!
4. Relationship, Commitment, & Service: Building relationships through fellowship & community keeps our eyes focused on Him. Being committed to time spent with other believers is fuel for your fire! And acts of service are how we sustain the physical needs of the body while eliminating the need to outsource & support those that do not share our mission of covering the world with HIs Good News.

It’s easy to become lukewarm–all you have to do is isolate, ignore the Bible, stop talking to God, and be completely self-absorbed. Staying in a sustained on-fire relationship with Jesus takes constant awareness, discernment, and leaning on the Holy Spirit. Being passionate for Jesus doesn’t mean you’re running around with pom-pons, cheering & yelling Bible verses; being passionate for Jesus means your faith is never so mundane that those around you wonder if you’re actually a Christian. It means you’re aware of the culture but not IN the culture; it means you, however God uses you, are in the culture only so much as to CHANGE the culture.

You’re not lukewarm–you’re not getting spewed out–if you’re burning passion is to serve Jesus with your entire heart. 🙂