After several months of hunger-suppressing
chemo-therapy, I am getting my appetite back. As I was reading an article
about how to increase your appetite, it occurred to me that a lot of believers
struggle with a low appetite for God’s word. The reason: a steady diet of the world’s empty-but-filling foodstuffs can suppress one's craving
for spiritual fare.
Here are a few suggestions on how to increase your hunger for God's food, remembering that man does not live by bread alone (Matt. 4:4).
First, eat small amounts more frequently. If you feel full
after eating only a small amount, try eating small amounts throughout the day. Second,
maintain regular mealtimes. (By the way, many people have their best appetite
in the morning, when they're rested.) Third, eat more when you are hungry—those
times when you feel that craving. And finally, create a
pleasant mealtime atmosphere. For example, use soft music, candles or nice
place settings. In other words, make your meals a special time and place.
One of the sweetest stories in the Gospels has to be when Jesus visited
the home of Mary and Martha. While Martha had her ‘feet on the ground’—she was
sensible and practical, Mary had her feet up, relatively speaking! While Martha
fixated on festal foods, Mary yearned for finer fare at the feet of Jesus.
“Sitting at one’s feet” is a timeless idiom, meaning “pay worshipful
attention to.” And while Mary was setting her mind on Jesus, a mortally-minded
Martha was being held hostage to the familiar. This was Mary’s
“break-out” moment—not to do great feats, but to love His.
“Falling at one’s feet” is another timeless idiom, with
similar meaning. The Gospel writers record a number of times people fell at His
feet and worshipped Him. I wonder how much more they would have done so, if they
had known His feet would one day be nailed to a Cross for them. How different
was their unrestrained expression from our Sunday morning church-goers sitting
at the foot of a stage sipping coffee and eating doughnuts.
People ask me, “Can you live without a pancreas?” The answer is ‘yes’—I'm alive, and I do not have a fully functioning pancreas. The pancreas, which lies behind the stomach, plays
a vital role in digestion, releasing enzymes that break down proteins, carbos, and fats, “mixing” with your food to make it nutritionally useful.
When I had surgery in February to remove a tumor from
my pancreas, the doctors also removed a large slice of my pancreas—rendering it dysfunctional, which now requires me to take enzyme pills to do this ‘mixing.’ And if I forget to
take my pills, no matter how much nutritious food I eat, it is not useful (and I could die from malnutrition).
The writer of Hebrews uses this idea of ‘mixing’ to give us a vivid ‘word picture’: “The word which they heard did not profit them (was not
useful) because it was not mixed with faith” (4:2), suggesting that the development of faith is like the body's process of “mixing” enzymes with food. In short, when the Word we
‘hear’ [eat] is not mixed with “dynamic” faith [action/obedience], it is not useful. Doesn't this open up James' words: “Be doers of the Word, not hearers
only…Can't you see that faith without good works is useless?...for just as
the body is dead without [a pancreas], so also faith is dead without good works”
(James 1:22; 2:20, 26).
In my college days I loved to cook dinner parties for my friends. I’ll never forget the time a coed arrived announcing she had just eaten a can of Spaghetti-O’s and was not very hungry. When she was a child I guess her mother never told her that eating before dinner would “spoil your appetite!”
I think one of the consequences of our fast-paced, commotion-filled, life-styles is how it spoils our appetite for communion with God—“If you [can] hear my voice [over the din] and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Rev 3:20). I think if you took a survey on Sunday morning at almost any church, you would be surprised at the number of people who show up spent from a week of activities. And church becomes just one more—not a place of refreshing communion as it should be.
After one time of great commotion (John the Baptist had just been beheaded), the Disciples came to Jesus, reporting everything that had happened. Everything was so chaotic they hadn’t even taken time to eat. So Jesus said, “Come away to a secluded place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Sounds like a good idea, doesan’t it? I think I’ll schedule it in for next week.
Amidst increasing concern about obesity and poor nutrition comes a new study that multivitamins can cut the risk of cancer by 8%. Over the last 50 years, due to increased use of processed food in American diets, vitamin supplements have become almost essential. The Dep. of Agriculture has spent millions of dollars on a campaign to get Americans to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day—with little effect.
As if speaking to the issue of spiritual nutrition, Jesus said people cannot exist on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). But I wonder that our bible study patterns don’t reveal that we treat God’s Word(s) more as a supplement than our daily meal (as if it could only reduce our sinful thoughts by 8%). But the bible is not a supplement; and its effectiveness is 100% (Heb 4:12; 2 Tim 3:17).
Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, refers to the life-changing Word of God more than any other—200 times. “I have hidden [stored up, treasured] your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (v.11). Jeremiah (15:16) spoke of eating the Word. Others compared the Word to milk (1 Peter 2:2), to honey (Psalm 19:10; 119:103) and to meat (Hebrews 5:12, 14). Spiritual life is nourished and sustained, not supplemented, by The Word. Did you eat a healthy breakfast today?
Last month, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy took an uncompromising stance against gay marriage. Since his business is family-owned, the restaurant chain itself became the latest victim of the law against intolerance. Mayors of Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. immediately condemned Cathy’s remarks, and declared their cities a no-commerce zone for Chick-fil-A restaurants.
The conflict took the form of a national food fight yesterday when Mike Huckabee declared Wednesday national “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.” The result: a lot of conservatives had chicken for lunch (while their critics are crow). Not to be outdone, gay rights advocates have called for a "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" to be held Friday at Chick-fil-A restaurants all over the country.
But the real chicken bone of contention is the damage being done to free speech. Chick-fil-A has the right to express its views. And opponents have a right to express theirs. But neither side has a right to silence the other, which is what happened when the mayors said they would shut out Chick-fil-A from their market place. In effect, saying (ironically), “We will not tolerate intolerance.” in the future, don’t be surprised to see more of that kind of fowl play.
After I wrote my post yesterday about a silly worship service, I discovered a book, “The Juvenilization of American Christianity.” Author and historian Thomas Bergler claims American churches are full of spiritually immature adults whose faith is self-centered, emotionally driven, theologically ignorant. Bergler says this trend emerged when the ‘fundamentalist’ Christian message of repentance and obedience was morphed into a message of self fulfillment, you might say, a PG-rated version that avoids the ‘mature themes’ of commitment, perseverance, suffering, and sacrifice.
Three decades ago, Oswald Sanders wrote “If I were called on to put my finger on the most pressing need of our age, I would unhesitatingly say—maturity,” his words no less relevant today. In our relaxed, come-as-you-are, do-what-you-want, whatever-works world, we must be careful not to accommodate the culture of ambivalence by giving the impression we don't expect people to grow up.
“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you... You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food” (Heb. 5:12). I wonder what might happen to our Sunday morning attendance if we put out a sign in the foyer that said, “For mature audiences only.”
There are few things more satisfying on Planet Earth than comfort foods, usually made of sugar, flour, dairy, and starches, and typically not green. Let’s be honest; most of us eat and drink to satisfy our emotional appetite—called ‘guilty (or sinful) pleasures.’
While people have always had emotional affairs with food, new anti-obesity laws could become as threatening as prohibition was to alcohol. In what could be a model for other cities or states, NY City Mayor Bloomberg wants to pass a bill limiting the size of sodas sold in NY City to 16 ounces. While no one can deny the obesity problem, does anyone really believe increased regulation will reduce waistlines? And ironically, while nutritionists are telling us to eat healthy, the sugar-and-butter seducing Food Network shows are more popular than ever.
Truth be told, food cravings are an expression of the legitimate longings of human beings. While sugar may satisfy that longing temporarily, until people know what those longings represent, and begin to meet them in personal relationship with Jesus, passing heartless laws won’t make a hint of a difference. Unfortunately, nutritionists and politicians will find that hard to swallow.
Christ taught his disciples for 3 years, but couldn’t teach all that He would have, saying, “I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12) You and I are able to hear and bear these deeper truths of Jesus. Why? Because we have been given the Holy Spirit.
Christ promised to send the Spirit of truth to guide believers into all truth! The Holy Spirit would help them discern the very essence of Jesus’ heart, the deeper spiritual truths Jesus wanted to teach his disciples at that time, and could not until the Spirit of truth had been given to them.
But even now, the Holy Spirit only reveals as much as we can bear (able to understand, apprehend, apply). For instance, you do not force-feed a baby, because when he is full he will spit out any more food. While that may be normal for spiritual babies, it should not be so for someone who has been a believer for many years; yet still cannot bear deeper truth.
[If] you have been Christians a long time now, you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you... You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right (Heb. 5:12-14).
Scouting the internet these days, I am hearing many new voices of “Christianity”—emerging church movement; the house church movement; prayer movement; prophetic movement; latter rain movement. Then there is Christian Right, Christian Left, and Green Christians, progressive Christians...
Has there ever been a time when it has been more important to hear the Lord’s voice? Paul warns us there will be many false voices, called deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1) in the latter days. But good news! We have an assurance from Jesus “My SHEEP hear my voice” (Jn. 10:27). Please Note: He doesn’t say my LAMBS will hear my voice!
Sheep are ruminants, eating a diet of grass and legumes. Mature sheep have eight incisors. Every year after birth they get another pair of them until all eight are in place, enabling them to cut off the grass. Lambs, however, are born with milk teeth that are not strong enough to chew grass; they feed on mother’s milk until they get their first pair of incisors, and begin grazing: no longer lambs; they are sheep.
The analogy is obvious. Peter says “like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). But in order to grow into maturity, we must start eating meat: “solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). Only those who have been trained by the Word of God are sheep—only they will be able to hear the voice of the Lord.
I love the book of Hebrews. But it’s a not an easy read. Not what you’d call the milk of the Word; it’s definitely what Paul meant by “solid food” (1 Cor. 3:3). However, in chapter 5, the writer reproves the Hebrew Christians as yet being like babies, still drinking milk, and unable to digest solid food. Further explaining, he says; “by this time you ought to be teachers instead of needing someone to teach you…” (5:12-14).
Beginning with mother’s milk—with all the necessary nutrients for early life—babies must advance to solid food for development of teeth, bones, muscles, and in particular, the digestive system itself.
A relevant comparison for today is that most Americans are so accustomed to eating processed foods (Fast Foods, frozen foods, canned foods), they are nutritionally deprived and digestively challenged. The over-processing of food has made digesting almost irrelevant.
Likewise, too many Christians are passive pew-sitters & radio-listeners, receiving digest-able teaching from someone who has spent hours chewing on the meat of the Word so they might receive it. But all the real work of masticating has been done for them. The result: they are unable to digest and absorb into their spiritual ‘blood stream’ anything but the simplest truths: their spiritual growth is stunted.
Let us be careful we do not get lulled into passivity by our pastors’ sermons, our great TV and radio teachers, and a plethora of good books, and forget how to feed ourselves the Word. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)
How’s your appetite? Are ready for a good meal? (Skip the fries!)
Everybody knows “practice makes perfect,” right? While I was unable to find the derivative of this phrase, I thought it sounded like one of Benjamin Franklin's pragmatic sayings. Pragmatic? yes. But is it spiritual? Yes, in fact, PRACTICE is, explicitly, a principle of spiritual growth.
Hebrews 5:14: “…solid food is for the mature [a word often translated “perfect”], who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
And there you have it right from the author of Hebrews: PRACTICE makes PERFECT.
There are two operations of this principle. First, the more you say no to the practice of sin, the more you are inclined to say no. Not in human effort, but in dependence on Holy Spirit. Then, in the same manner, we develop habits of holiness by applying the truth to every situation: “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing…” (Philippians 4:9 NLT)
There is even a promise from Peter that if you keep practicing, you will never stumble (See 2 Peter 1:11). (See 2 Peter 1: 5-7 for a list of things you should practice!)
Have you grown tired of practicing? Maybe you feel like giving up. Sometimes, the changes tend to be so gradual that you don’t realize how much you’ve improved. Perhaps today, as you read this, you realize it’s been so long since you “exercised” that you are "out of practice."
“Let us not become weary in doing good [practicing], for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up [if we do not stop practicing]” (Galatians 6:9).
