M&M’S have been one of my favorite candies for a long, long time.

These delicious little bite-sized candies can be eaten individually or by the handful. But it really makes good sense to eat them slowly and enjoy them one at a time.

How much do I like M&M’S? A few years ago as a sweet gift of love, I ordered my wife some with her picture printed on them for Valentine’s Day. In my region, I’ve noticed that the Spring pastel colors are now available and for some reason that makes them even more tempting to me. Their unforgettable commercials with talking candies don’t help my plight either.

I’m not really writing about my fascination with the sugary snack. But if we were in a small group setting for teaching, I would have already passed you a bag of the plain version and the ones with nuts.

I’m using these delicious little candies to talk about two words that almost seem foreign to our American culture. The M&M’s that I’m talking about are the Christian concepts of modesty and moderation.

Modesty and moderation are not exclusively Christian concepts. Their practice just makes good common sense. And the modern practice of common sense is kind of like a superpower.

As a student of Scripture, I know these cannot be legislated or otherwise externally enforced. However, I believe the best possibility for practicing these M&M’s can only be enacted by those who are in Christ.

In recent years, my wife and I have noticed that such common sense seems to be missing among modern Christians. We appear to be living in an age where no use of restraint is popular. Be sure of this, when Christian liberty is excessively practiced, it can easily lead to a comfortable license to sin.

What does the Bible teach about modesty and moderation? That’s the only question that should concern Christians. And the answer takes us to the heart of the matter, which is simply self-control.

Modesty is a characteristic that describes the leaning of one’s heart or attitude. The modest Christian isn’t looking for the limelight or to get all the credit. It’s a similar concept to humility.

The closely related word that you are already thinking about is modestly. This is the descriptive word that points to how a Christian should dress.

I won’t be giving you specific examples or writing mean-spirited words about women. The concept of dressing modestly is one that is far better caught by example than taught by condemnation. Besides, the biblical principle is for older women to teach younger women.

This most important concept that applies to Christian men and women is to dress with modesty and self-control, not looking to bring undue attention to yourself. Avoid going over-the-top and being ostentatious in your style.

Let me write this emphatically. This is not a call to dress in a non-caring slouchy or disheveled manner. As a Christian, you do have the freedom to dress in a well put together manner that brings glory to God.

What about moderation? When practiced, this is about avoiding extremes. It can have application in many areas. Again, this is about the two related Bible words, self-control and discipline. These Scripture references immediately come to mind: 2 Timothy 1:7 and Titus 2:11-12.

Let me apply moderation to myself as a self-confessing foodie. I like bacon, cookies, and M&M’S too much. More times than I can count, the Holy Spirit has convicted me of gluttony. Recently, I have confessed this sin to God again and asked for His help to practice the moderation I teach.

I’m in the process of gaining Holy Spirit control over my eating habits. I find being overweight with poor food choices to be detrimental to my personal health and my speaking ministry. So that means I cannot eat pizza and ice cream as often as I want them. And I’ll have to pace myself with my favorite M&M’S.

Let me make this final plea. Christian, let’s get back to practicing some common sense with the use of modesty and moderation. These are the best M&M’s to be fascinated with and not have to repent over. In a world full of nuts it’s okay to be labeled as one of the more plain variety, especially when it comes to modesty and moderation.

Do you like M&M’S? What’s your opinion on my perspective of Christian M&M’s?