eating meat
Instead, the title refers to what i hear some Christians say from time to time. It's not uncommon to have a very seasoned Christ-follower say, "I NEED to GET fed!" or in critiquing their local church saying, "I need more MEAT" Ever heard it? Ever said it?
On the surface this can be quite innocent, even admirable. But even though I'm sure I've said something similar at times in my own life, the comments have always bothered me. I guess the reason is that saying those things is supposed to make you sound more "mature" or more "spiritual." You know, because while others crave things that tickle their ears, you are longing for depth...and that IS admirable. But maybe it's just the way it's said, maybe it's the way my flawed ears hear it, but these statements often sound horribly IMMATURE and unimpressive.
Maybe it's because as a grown man (or almost grown :) ), i don't go around whining to my wife that i NEED to get fed... sure I'll ask, "when is dinner ready?" but if I'm starving, or she's taking care of more pressing things, I'm fully capable of going to refrigerator or pantry and feeding myself. It makes me wonder, if you are a mature follower of Christ, shouldn't you be able to do the same?
I am NOT saying that Christ-following is a self-guided endeavor, there is a need for guidance from teachers and pastors and fellow followers. So I'm not bucking the idea that some Christ-followers can and should help feed others, but i guess I'm frustrated with the DEMAND to be fed. That just doesn't seem Christ-like at all.
Up until Monday this week, I fought against this "me-theology" in a lot of ways, but in an email I got this week from someone, I heard one new explanation that I think says it all.
This woman was referring to her desire to follow Christ with everything she is and she quoted Jesus when he said, "My MEAT is to do the will of Him who sent me" (please look here
for the full context). Jesus' disciples were urging him to take a break from the masses who were coming out to see him and feed himself (actual food), but look at what the MOST SPIRITUALLY MATURE person in the history of the world said... "my food (meat) is to do the will of Him who sent me."
The next time your feel hungry, instead of thinking the only option is to go to deeper bible studies, or listen to more substantive preaching, or to pray longer, try doing what Jesus did when he was hungry for meat... do the will of Him who sent you... and begin feeding another. (NOTE: please don't stop doing those other things Jesus fed himself in those ways too, especially in prayer!)
The more we try to fill ourselves up and satisfy our appetites through taking and demanding and insisting and asserting our preferences, the hungrier we'll feel. But when we take the deeper bible studies, the substantive preaching, the stronger prayer-life and begin to use them to pour ourselves out to feed another, strangely that's when we'll start to feel full.
Think about it the next time you are feeling hungry for more meat.
4 Comments:
Amen
I have sensed this "feed me" mentality in the Church since I became a believer 34 years ago. It permeates our thinking because we are selfish by nature. Some think that the only reason we are on this earth is to get fed and "tarry until Jesus returns." Wrong(and boring). We are here on a mission to build His Kingdom, to heal and restore a broken world through God's Spirit. That should get us excited. The King has called us and we get more excited about sitting at the table and getting served. That will just make us lethargic(like you feel at Thanksgiving after a big meal). Let us take the King's commission to heart and we will hear, "Come blessed of my Father, take your inheritance , the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. No need to ask, "Where's the beef?" after that.
what a great perspective. the higher honor is being called into service, not only sitting around the king's table. And how often do we get this backwards? Beautifully written!
any pastor would shout a loud amen to this. lol :) i love you, dion! haha.
-Jessie
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