Some people have big mouths and can cram a lot of food into their mouth in only one bite. Others have small mouths and seem like they are never going to finish their meal because they just keep nibbling. While some people are fast eaters and meals seem to disappear into thin air. While other people eat slowly and seem to savor every bite as if it were their first experience of tasting the food in front of them.
I'm sure you can think of more examples but you get the picture.
Another nuance that I have noticed about people is how they eat. Have you ever noticed someone in a rush with a small mouth try to rush food down their throat? It's not pretty. Have you ever noticed the slow eater eat too fast and end up with an upset stomach? There is a danger in not eating within the norm of how you were created to eat.
My son is a distracted eater. It will take him an hour or so to eat a meal... which can be frustrating. "Please keep eating son," I remind him.
I love my boy and he likes to eat but I find that very often during the course of a meal, he'll get distracted and I have to remind him of what he is doing at the table- eating. He usually responds in one of two ways to me- he ignores me or tries to stuff everything in his mouth. Neither option are in his best interest. When he ignores me he is is denying himself the sustenance he will need to make it through his day. When he tries to stuff everything into his mouth, all kinds of bad things could happen. He could gag, choke, puke, block his airway, etc. None of this is beneficial to him. As a good Daddy, I remind him to only take small bites and to keep eating. His challenge is to keep eating and I think it is ours too. We have an eating disorder.
Have you ever gone to church on Sunday and connected with God with such tangibility that you are completely pumped for the week? Do you find that Monday or Tuesday rolls around and that you can't seem to live then like you did on Sunday? It is as if all that energy and passion have seemed to dwindle. What happened?
Have you ever gone to small group and tried to cram all your God input for the week into one spiritual meal? Do you savor the meal? How long does it last? Do you gag because you were so rushed to prepare that you forgot to swallow the Spiritual food that you were feeding your soul? How do you find fulfillment with barely enough to survive?
How many meals do you eat a day? Three? Do you snack? Do you have dessert? How often do you feed your soul? Do you pray... and then listen? Do you spend time to simply revel in what Jesus has done for you?
See, I believe that feeding ourselves Spiritually is a lot like feeding ourselves physically. We wouldn't eat a brunch on Sunday and decide that we were good for the next seven days, would we? We would become weak and susceptible to sickness. Our souls are built the same way. Feeding on what God has to offer us on Sunday alone or just at our small group is a lot like doing just that. Our spirit will become weak. We need to keep feeding ourselves.
Let's take this further.
Some valid responses to this are, "I don't have time to do this" or "This just seems to take a lot of effort" or "How am I supposed to feed myself that often?"
Those are great questions and worth looking into. Do you have a commute to work or travel a lot? Listen to podcasts or cd's of messages. Read a book (I have many I can recommend). Do you work at home? Stream messages on your computer while you are working. Do you workout? Then listen to a downloadable Bible or podcasts or eBook. Are you a domestic hero (like me)? During quiet time or nap time, read for 15 minutes. Then, while you are doing the rest of what you need to accomplish around the house, think about what you read and let it marinate in your mind.
Don't like those options? Sign up for a daily scripture verse delivered to your email every day from places like BibleGateway.com. Have a free night? Go help out a local non-profit. Want more out of Sunday? Help serve around your church. See that homeless person that always stands at the same corner? Go get them a meal from a local restaurant and give it to them (only spend $5). In this way, you are caring for their physical needs and they just might see Jesus in you when you do this.
Need more options? Set a timer on your watch to beep every hour to remind you to turn your attention back to God and ask, "Where are you evident in my life right now, God?" or "What do you want me to talk about with my co-worker or friend?" or "Help! I really need you God."
These are just a few ideas that can help you reconnect with God in an ongoing feeding of your soul. However, don't discredit the power of reading the Bible. The Bible contains great insight into the human condition and how God has revealed himself throughout history, especially in the person of Jesus.
I've gotta be honest, listening to podcast messages and ebooks have helped me a great deal in my walk with Jesus. Additionally, taking a few minutes a day to simply read some of the Bible has also had a profound effect on my relationship with God and my Spiritual health and wholeness.
The point is this, just keep eating. Don't bite off more than you can palette but keep eating; keep feeding yourself. A lot of little bites often can be more beneficial for your soul than one big bite once a week.
Try this out every day for 60 days. I'm serious. Give it a shot and see if God does something. Stay willing and seeking God in those moments. If anything cool happens, let me know because I would love to know your story.
|
composed by
dave
|
