Spiritually hangry? Spiritual junk food, and giving people ‘Food at the Proper time’
When was the last time you had to wait for your food?
Maybe you have decided to cook more food at home and are transitioning from a “fast food” mentality.
Eating at the right time is something everyone can relate to.
If you have ever had a brand new baby, you know how LITTLE they can wait for their nourishment. Their cells are growing at an astounding rate and they need critical sustenance.
Then as toddlers, they continue to eat on a very regular basis. They are still growing in leaps and bounds! However, they can wait a little longer and you can communicate to them to wait.
When we are adults, we don’t feel the panic that a child feels about receiving their food at the right time, but we still can get a little hangry, don’t we?
As a human being, we are physical beings that must eat daily to receive the proper nourishment for our health and vitality.
We are also spiritual beings with souls that need nourishment.
What nourishes your soul?
What would you say is spiritual “junk” food?
I think that there is no coincidence that there are countless references to food & eating in the Bible. Jesus was always referencing tangible things in our ordinary lives so that we can better understand the great spiritual truths.
This year I have been reading through the Bible and making a notation of every reference to food, eating, or a similar connection.
Today I came across Psalm 145:15
“All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.”
This is also referenced in
Matthew 24:45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time.”
In a literal sense, we all know what it is like to not get your food when you want it. Maybe you are at a restaurant and you are waiting an exorbitant amount of time for your food. You have been trying to be patient.
We also know the importance of having food when you NEED it.
Or maybe you are not hungry at all and someone is trying to feed you a big feast and you have NO appetite.
Or maybe you are sick and someone is offering you a bunch of junk that will not truly nourish your body in a way that provides healing and longevity.
As Christ followers, we are here to do His will and to build each other up in our walk with the Lord. We are commanded to come together as a faith community and
From agodman.com “We need to have the conviction that we are here to give others food; we need to have this aspiration as we meet, making sure that no one leaves the meeting hungry but are fed in some way. This is so that they would be healthy, living, nourished, and they would grow in life unto maturity and be prepared for the Lord’s return. Our realization, as we come to meet together with the saints, is that we are here to give them food; we’re here not just to attend meetings, enjoy a good service, or get together in homes to encourage one another, but to minister the word of God and Christ as life supply to others.”
There are a couple of thoughts & self-reflections I have about these verses:
What ministry ideas do I have that are spiritual “junk” food? What ministries are truly feeding people where they are?
When have I tried to feed someone when they just aren’t ready to “eat”?
How many times do I neglect to feed someone that is spiritually starving?
Why would I continue to feed my children spiritual “junk” food if I knew it wasn’t helping them to grow and flourish?
Why would I continue to feed my children actual “junk” food if I knew it was contributing to a disease process in them?
How can I better feed those in ministry “at the proper time”?
When is the last time I recieved spiritual nourishment “at the proper time”?
How about you?
I’d love to hear your reflections!
