FULL-COURSE MEAL

 

                Throughout our lifetime we will be flooded with infomercials and emails about healthy eating habits. From eating all five of the food groups to abstaining from eating carbs, information is at our disposal in order to be successful eaters. We now have apps available that help us count our calories for everything we consume at any given moment. Moderation and consistency are probably the most important factors in healthy eating - don’t overdo it and don’t give up. For the novice just getting started, there are diet plans such as Weight Watchers and Atkins to help get you started. You also have TV shows like The Doctors pumping out information, as well as thousands of books available. It’s a 24/7 non-stop barrage of tips, recommendations, and advice on eating healthy.

                Just as our physical bodies need to be fed in order to function mentally and physically, our souls need to be spiritually fed as well. Without the proper spiritual food, our souls will become underdeveloped and our spiritual muscles will atrophy. When we try to use them, they won’t work the way that they’re supposed to. It is vital that we are feeding our souls from all of the spiritual foods groups, so that we will have our “spiritual” full-course meal.

                The first, and most important portion of this “spiritual” full-course meal is ‘belief-faith-trust’. You believe because of who He is (John 3:16), you have faith that He knows what He’s doing (Hebrews 11:1), and you trust Him because of what you’ve heard and seen (Proverbs 3:5-6). These three go hand in hand. If you don’t have these, then the rest of your meal won’t taste right. You won’t get the full benefits of your “spiritual” full-course meal. In our own selfishness we tell God to show us and we’ll trust Him. But God, being omniscient, tells us to trust Him and He will show us. We must ask ourselves, do we truly believe, have faith and trust in the Lord? Do we suffer from spiritual gout (Romans 8:1, 4)?

                Another portion of your “spiritual” full-course meal is prayer & fasting. We must pray every single day (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And not just praying before you eat, but also prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of intercession, and prayers of petition. Remember, praying is a two-way conversation with the Lord. Our very own Prayer & Bible Study is a great opportunity to pray and talk to the Lord. How can we expect God to speak to us if we don’t speak to Him? When you fast, it isn’t just about giving up something; you are also gaining a closer relationship with God. We must ask ourselves, do we truly pray and fast unto the Lord? Are we spiritually mute to the Lord (Philippians 4:6)?

                Another portion of your “spiritual” full-course meal is reading-studying-meditating on the Word of God. How can we possibly know God’s promises for us if we don’t do this? 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Again, Prayer & Bible Study and also Coffee, Tea and He are great opportunities to not only learn but to effectively read, study and meditate on the Word of God. Many of us are afraid because we will become accountable for what we’ve learned of the Word, but we fail to realize that we are accountable whether we learn the Word of God or not. So we must ask ourselves, do we truly read, study and meditate on the Word of God? Going a step further, do we ingest God’s word in the form of milk or solid foods (Hebrews 5:13)? Do we suffer from spiritual indigestion?

                The next portion of your “spiritual” full-course meal is fellowship. We should want to spend time with fellow followers of Christ. Hebrews 10:25 tells us to “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” When you fellowship with one another you actually build each other up even if you don’t realize it. That’s why 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” We are all one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). So we must ask ourselves, do we truly spend time with one another unto the Lord? Do we suffer from spiritual isolation?

                It is imperative that we feast on all portions of our “spiritual” full-course meal. When we don’t, not only do we suffer but the body suffers as a whole. We must be accountable to each other because we are accountable to God. Time is running out. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). It’s impossible. So I leave us with this final question, which is scriptural: Galatians 4:9 asks “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”