“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” – Hebrews 5:14
Hannah and I long for the day when Zac says those words. Okay, Hannah being a vegetarian may not long for those exact words; however, Zac is our non-eater. He has no desire to eat and each day is a struggle to get him to even eat the things that we finally got him to eat the day before. We have pleaded and urged him to eat anything! We have even reasoned with him about the nutritional value and even the enjoyment that we get from eating. From our perspective, his need is obvious.
Likewise, each one of us has a spiritual need. There is a spiritually nutritious value from knowing Christ and studying His Word (Psalm 63:4-7). Yet, too often, our feeding is similar to a little kid sitting at the dinner table with parents trying every possible scheme to aid in the digestion of food. Instead, God doesn’t desire that we just eat our food, but that we are craving for seconds or even thirds! That we are cutting our own meat!
This does not happen overnight, but takes discipline and building up a good hearty appetite. So what does this look like when it comes to our spiritual life?
The first step is to come to the table ready to eat.
Attitude and our heart goes a long way! John 4:23 states, But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” When we approach God’s Word or when we come to worship, are we doing so with a spirit which is anticipating to be fed? Are we looking for God’s Word to challenge us in truth and to act in faith?
The second step is to be thankful and say grace.
When we recognize the work that went into the meal, we appreciate the taste even more. How many times do we remember our dad saying, “You will like it, because your mom has spent all day on it”? Now granted, guilt is not the best motivator; however, what our parents were trying to get at was that we should be grateful. Before you spend time with our Father, do you take time to thank Him for His blessings? Do you reflect on what the Cross truly means and what Jesus did? Reflect on the words of Psalm 100:4!
The third step is to taste the goodness.
There is a funny thing about eating. The more you taste and appreciate what you eat, the more you want to eat! Psalm 34:8 exclaims, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” When you are spending time with God, take time to reflect on what He has done. How has he changed your life? How does He want you to love in new ways?
The fourth step is to try new foods.
Our appetite grows as we expand our palate! When we think of growing in spiritual maturity, we often fall into habits and go through the exact same patterns. Have you tried changing up your routine? Maybe reading a book from the Bible that you have never read before? Or try keeping a journal? Or maybe finding a secluded spot away from the house to get away to pray? (Psalm 33:1-4)
The fifth step is to use the nourishment.
After all, when we exercise it helps build our appetite. When we put into action what God has taught us in His Word, we will have a hunger for more (James 2:26). Food that sits in the gut becomes heavy, but food that is put into action will leave us craving for more. And ultimately, we become more like Christ as we live as He did. We grow in maturity through applying what God has taught us. This means, how we worship, how we serve, and how we are obedient in faith.
I hoped you worked up an appetite! And always remember, that a great meal we do not keep to ourselves! We can’t wait to invite others to come over for dinner. Please remember to check out the back of the weekly bulletin and our website for more ideas of how to self-feed!