What Are We Feeding Ourselves?

Zeke Flores

We love to feed ourselves! We want what we want and we want it now! The fact that one can drive through any of your favorite fast-food restaurants and order breakfast, lunch or dinner is not lost on today’s “society on the go”. Hence, the fast food industry has grown to a multibillion dollar one because we just love our Big Macs, Whoppers and tacos. However, an expanding waistline reminds us that a steady diet of this is not the most healthy way to eat and so we are now being enticed by food places that offer “fat free” or “low fat” fare. (Maybe if I eat a low fat dish for lunch, I can have an extra Twinkie tonight!)

Or maybe food is not your weakness. Maybe you feed yourself on a steady diet of television. While not everything on TV is “junk food”, there are still some things we watch that maybe we shouldn’t. What used to be called “soap operas” are now billed as “ daytime dramas” and contain everything from pre-marital sex to adultery to murder. “It’s just a TV show” you say, but how many women haven’t compared their husband to the handsome hunk on one of those shows only to realize that hubby doesn’t quite measure up? Perhaps it’s the comedy shows you like. The fare on today’s prime time sitcoms contain sex (surprise), homosexuality, cussing and even occasional nudity! The fact that we even need a rating system for public television ought to tell us that what’s on there isn’t always the best thing for a Christian (or anyone) to allow their minds to feed on.

There are other things we feast our eyes and our minds upon like magazines and gossip but I think you get a picture of what I mean. As Christians, we don’t always infuse ourselves with what we need to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Let’s let the Master (our great example) tell us what He fed on during His time on earth.

In John 4 we find Jesus at a well in Samaria while His disciples are gone into town to buy some food. When they returned they tried to get Jesus to eat but He said, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (Vs 32) While His disciples were thinking of earthly, physical food Jesus explains, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” (Vs 34) Jesus fed himself on the will of God. It was His drive and motivation to do that which pleases the Father! The Lord continually prayed and it was evident that He knew the Scriptures very well; it was this doing of the Father’s will that was His great objective. How awesome it would be if all His children said the same thing!

How can we feed ourselves like Jesus did? We must develop a taste for the things of God. In His sermon on the mount Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6) We ought to go after righteousness, that is the state of being right with God, like a hungry man goes after nourishing food. By making it our greatest desire to be in that state, we develop a hunger and thirst for God that only He can satisfy. Since He promises to reward those who diligently seek him, we can be assured that our longing for Him will be gratified fully.

Once we begin to really feed ourselves on His word and live out His will in our lives, then it will become as sweet and nourishing food for our souls, better than anything this old world has to offer! “How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)