Choosing to dig in at a dinner table with plenty is a happy indulgence.
Choosing to dig in at a dinner table without food is just, well…. impossible.
We have to have something to feast on if we are seeking fulfillment for our voracious appetites.
But we are creatures of habit. Physically and spiritually.
We may claim to know that the Lord is our Savior, and we may seek community within a church body as we talk about loving Jesus, but our daily routines do not change. We continue walking down the same well worn path of barely getting by and never stop at the table where feast is waiting to be consumed.
Living in fear, we don’t pursue change. We look at what God is offering and say we can subsist on crumbs, leftovers by others willing to seek God’s truth. Consistently, we choose to avoid setting aside time for the sole purpose of meeting with the Lord to converse about truth, His Holy Word. We choose to prioritize a Sunday’s to-do list rather than examine the Sabbath and rest. We live spiritually on edge, wasting away.
But the truth is this : If we choose to starve ourselves, we become hindered in our reasoning in thinking right thoughts about God.
As I notice the women around me, casually on the street or intimately in my community, I see it. I see it in them and I see it in me. We are hungry for something more.
We say we want more:
Time to ourselves
Time with our families
Better job opportunities
Thinner waistlines
Purpose and Meaning
Comfort
Money
These are not listed in any specific order, but you get the gist. The list goes on and on.
But this list of wants is a list of lies. The very things from the list we hope to attain and gain control over are the meager rations we’ve been consuming in an effort to barely survive. And it hasn’t filled us so far.
Our gaunt faces prove it, tired from the rugged race, running from point to point. Our lonely hearts feel it, emotionally empty at the end of the day as we search the web for celebrity entertainment and social media meaning.
Let’s change our habits together, one humble step at a time. May the Word lead us into a clear definition of spiritual hunger as we seek the courage to sit at the feasting table and consider something new.
We were meant for more.
Juleeta, thank you for this post. I want it all and ALL “all” is doing is making me exhausted. I rarely ask for help and when I do, I feel guilty and “less than.” This verse was on our Read, Listen and Respond this morning. We have to humble ourselves to confidently approach the throne of grace.
Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.