Warning against treating Jesus like a wonder drug

Some people hear the word ‘semaglutide’ and think ‘medication’. Others hear it and think of finally having access to the life they have always hoped for.

Semaglutide, more commonly known as Ozempic or Wegovy, is an injectable drug used to treat type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) and obesity (Wegovy). It works by suppressing appetite and regulating blood sugar levels. Approved for medical use in the US in 2017 (and in the UK in 2019), it hit the headlines in the UK two years ago as it was uncovered as Hollywood’s ​"skinny jab", a secret ingredient to the picture-perfect bodies that fill our screens and haunt our mirrors. As such, it takes its place in the long list of good things that have come to prominence in modern society by way of Hollywood…

Or not.

A trusty minion who will do the hard work of maintaining your desired figure?

Both the UK and the US have experienced shortages of the drug as it has been diverted from those who actually need it—people living with diabetes or obesity—to be taken up by the masses who fancy it for more cosmetic purposes. Most people will become concerned about their weight at least once in their lives, and not all will greet the ageless wisdom of ​exercise, diet, and consistency with enthusiasm. To those people, semaglutide is useful not as an assistant in the overall aim of maintaining good health, but as a trusty minion who will do the hard work of maintaining your desired figure for you. 

From those who struggle with their weight and don’t meet the current NHS (British Health System) prescription restriction (you have to have a BMI above 35—and in select cases above 30—to be eligible) to those who simply want to lose a few pounds ahead of a significant event, the offer of an injection that does all the heavy lifting of losing weight for you can be too compelling to resist. 

Tempted as I am to continue with a tirade against social media and an exploration of how little of our weight loss obsession has anything to do with health, I am (presently) more interested in exploring why we spend so much time seeking a one-stop shop for our needs—in recent days, Ozempic’s powers in resisting ageing have been lauded, which would easily put it in the running for the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of medicines. 

Maintaining a healthy weight can give a whole new lease of life to those who have struggled with obesity, but there isn’t a magic pill in the world for the underlying causes of issues with food and dissatisfaction with self. It may sound overly quaint, but it is no less true—our deepest needs can only be satisfied in a person, and His name is Jesus. 

The sacrifice of Jesus in laying down His life in submission to the will of His Father must be repeated by every person who follows Him.

I don’t think Christians are off the hook, though. For those who do seek life in Jesus, to what extent are we inclined to treat Him like spiritual Ozempic—the One who does all the heavy lifting for us so there’s nothing left for us to do? Of course, Jesus, the unique One who is himself God (John 1:18), has ​“died once for all, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Hebrews 10 is very clear that the sacrifice of Jesus in atoning for our sin cannot be repeated, but it seems to me that the New Testament is similarly clear that the sacrifice of Jesus in laying down His life in submission to the will of His Father must be repeated by every person who follows Him. 

It seems that there is something about the very nature of God that is revealed in Jesus’ enduring suffering and sacrifice for a reward, and that, in order to step into the fullness of life that He offers (John 10:10), we need to take hold of this aspect of His nature for ourselves.

We stand to lose kilos when we take hold of (medically approved) help for weight loss, and yet I wonder if some of us stand to lose far more if we eliminate sacrifice, effort, and cost from our journeys with the scales and, above all, our lives with the Lord. Ozempic may indeed lead us further to life to the full—but only if it highlights to us our deeper need to embrace sacrifice as a part of life, and to embrace the cost of following Jesus.

Originally published by EAUK. Republished with permission.

Damilola Makinde is the Evangelical Alliance's advocacy engagement lead. Her background spans law, public policy, preaching, and worship leading. Damilola is originally from London but having grown up within a Nigerian diaspora in Ireland, her experience of tri-cultural heritage has contributed to the powerful and prophetic voice she holds today.