Content to Starve

This past Wednesday, my new sweet grandson Will became jaundiced.  The doctors said he wasn't eating enough, not because he wasn't hungry, but because he wasn't willing to work hard enough to eat all that he needed.  He worked just hard enough to get a snack, but not enough to get full.  The doctor said that Will was 'content to starve'.

That same Wednesday night, our pastor preached about working hard to study God's Word.  Then today I read a chapter about working to know God through His Word.

It became clear to me that I've been like Will - content to starve.  The past 18 months I've been gradually starving spiritually.  I have sensed in my spirit that something was missing from my church and my former pastor's sermons.  I knew I wasn't being satisfied spiritually.

I had looked to Sunday School, small group Bible study and personal study for satisfaction.  And there was some satisfaction in those things.  Those things had enough nutritional value to keep me alive.  But like Will's snacking, it wasn't quite enough, because solid preaching is strong meat for the Christian.  'Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.'  As the nutritional value in the sermons dwindled, so did the spiritual health of our congregation.

I wonder that it was so easy and effortless for us collectively and individually to starve like that.  In fact, it was only when I decided to start eating again that the pain and effort really showed up.  Sort of like Will.  He was perfectly content in his starving condition.  But his contentment was temporarily disturbed when they took steps to feed him more.  When his foot was pricked for blood tests; when he was laid in the light chamber; when he was awakened from a pleasant sleep to eat; when he had to stay awake to drink extra from a little cup.  These things bothered him and disturbed his peace and quiet.  But they also pulled him out of that downward starving spiral and into growing mode.

Will endured all the discomfort and is eating and growing and thriving.  He just needed more food than he was willing to work for.  And it made him sick.  Someday he'll be thankful for those people who disturbed his comfort these past two days.

I often need more food than I'm willing to work for.  And it makes me sick.  I'm thankful for true friends who have been willing to disturb my comfort for my own sake.  I'm thankful to be receiving the strong meat of solid preaching again.

I'm thankful that God provided the strong meat of solid preaching to others in our congregation who were willing to seek nourishment from other sources.