Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy fine-dining. However, there are those nights where nothing can beat a nice cold bowl of cereal. You’ve seen it on Instagram and Facebook; those aesthetically pleasing healthy bowls of cereal with oats and fruit all tidied up in a minimalistic bowl. While that’s all good and fine, it’s not what I like. Give me the fruity pebbles, cocoa puffs, and cookie crisp.

I’ve gotten a lot of flak for my taste in childish cereal over the years. My inventory of cereal is typically displayed on top of my fridge and is one of the first things you see when entering my kitchen. Friends of all backgrounds have blatantly pointed out my “flaw” of cereal variety, accusing me of having “unhealthy” eating habits. To end the dispute, I purchased a box of, supposedly healthy, Frosted Mini Wheats and compared them with my trusty Fruity Dyno Bites.

The Fruity Dyno Bites (which also don’t contain artificial flavors or sweeteners) include 160 calories, 1g of fat, 220mg of sodium, 36g of carbs, and 18g of sugar. IN CONTRAST, the Frosted Mini Wheats contain 210 calories, 3g of fat, 50mg of sodium, 48g of carbs, and 16g of sugar. I understand that Frosted Mini Wheats aren’t the healthiest choice either, but I’ve never heard of anyone catching flak for eating them, especially when they are comparable to Fruity Dyno Bites.

So what’s my point? Sometimes fake news originates from our very own minds. While I’m no dietician, the labels on the backs of these cereals tell a similar story to each other. I’m also mindful that the children’s cereal includes 4 sets of vitamins that are not included in the adult cereal, such as vitamin B12, B6, A, and D. It really goes back to judging a book by its cover, or in this case, a cereal by its box. *I’d love for a proper dietician to confirm or deny my rationale in this – I’m certainly speaking in an area that is out of my expertise.

The wise man in Proverbs instructs his listener to “lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Of course, that statement comes after “trust in the Lord with all your heart.” In simple terms, we can get ourselves into a whole lot of trouble with doctrinal truths if we start making assumptions and failing to fact-check those ideas. Along with that, Paul encouraged the readers of 1 Thessalonians to “test everything and hold fast what is good” in regard to prophecy and revelation (5:21). It is our duty as Christians to test our own beliefs, reject the errors, and embrace the truths. While something may look right/wrong at first glance, we must do our part in testing it.

The main lesson for these passages must be applied spiritually first. With that said, it seems that this can also be a relevant lesson for the media that is being broadcasted our way on a minute-by-minute basis. With election season right around the corner, there will be a lot of false statements floating around, accompanied with a lot of truthful statements. I’d encourage you check them with reputable sources instead of believing everything that is headlined on the phone/computer screen. There is great reward in having a confirmed truth, for it allows us to process the next steps needed in our own lives.

Tyler King