Over-Fed && Under-Nourished

   I was watching a commercial today that was showing how many americans are obese and unhealthy. They eat a lot, but get no nutrition.

No, This is not a blog telling you what you've heard a thousand times about physical obesity, but rather about "Spiritual Obesity".

How many of us know that being fed does not mean we are nourished?

See, the bible IS FOOD and many think... I must read it to be fed.  Which is true...But how many of you know that if you aren't keeping the Word in your heart that you can be fed, but not nourished?

We may be reading it daily, scripture after scripture... verse after verse...chapter after chapter... but what happens when you are reading and not retaining. It's not just about how fast you can read the bible...but rather, maintaining your relationship with God and truly changing your life to walk the Christian walk, not just talk the talk.

Let's look at the definition of FEED and NOURISHMENT for a second...

FEED: To provide for consumption, utilization, or operation.

NOURISH: To keep alive; maintain.

Hmm... It amazes me that a lot of Christians are just consuming, but not maintaining. I've had my fair share of just wanting to read as quickly as possible to get it out of the way... but then I have been asked about what I read and I can't remember! Just as quickly as I read the scriptures, I quickly forgot.. That's not what Christ meant by using the bible as food, that's not how we get full.

So then you may say...How do we know if we are "Spritually full or Spiritually-Full-of-it?"

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15)  

  If we are spiritually full we know God's commands and we obey them. If we are full of it, we know some of God's commands and we pick and choose what fits OUR lifestyle.

 

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

If we are spiritually full, we hide God's word in our heart and we try our hardest to live a life of purity and worthiness. If we are spiritually full-of-it, we read scripture and forget it before we can even think about living it out.

¹⁵I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways (Psalm 119:15)

To Be Spiritually full means we try and discover new depths to the scriptures meaning and seek new applications of its truth... to be Spiritually full-of-it means we read a story when we are 8 and think it doesn't still apply to our lives now.

I just wanted to write this so I can encourage you to not only consume the word, but to maintain the word...to hide it away in your heart... so you may find yourself bearing fruit and becoming SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY instead of SPIRITUALLY HURTING. My prayers are for those of us who read the Word, but do not live the Word out. My prayers are for those seeking the potential in God's promise, but do not see the potential in themselves to seek that promise. My prayers are for those who feel as though they are seeking...as though they are doing everything right, but are still having a hard time because they are not full, just full of it.

Encourage each other to

Not only Eat the Truth, but use it as Energy,

Not only Consume Truth, but Correct greater Issues,

not only speak the truth, but live it.

God Bless.

 

Finding Faith

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of FAITH, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the CHAMPION who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the Joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disreguarding it's shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary or give up." Hebrews 12:1-3

I love this... as I have recently been struggling with Finding Faith. I pray and pray... and I can sometimes feel like he isn't listening because I am so ready to see a change in the people I love... I am seeking that fire... that desire to follow him with all I have... I have become bored and complacent. So, in seeking FAITH.. I found this scripture... and it occured to me... That I have been Walking. That I haven't put down the weight that I have been carrying. I haven't completely given everything to Jesus.

So, The life of Faith that I want... is exactly what is explained above.

Hebrews 12 says, "We are surrounded by such a crowd of Witnesses to the life of faith..."

 It makes me wonder who those witnesses are in my own life. My family? Yes, they are watching me. They are watching my faith that I have and they are learning from it. My friends? Yes, they too are watching. My Co-workers? Absolutely. Everyone that knows me has a glimpse of my faith with every word I speak and every action I make. This is weight that I have been carrying... That I must be perfect so I do not trip... that I must be perfect to show them who God is...

I must give this weight to Jesus. I must not look for perfection in faith, but look to JESUS because he IS perfection in Faith. However, in this scripture I have also realized this: That faith is a process.

It says that when we look at Jesus, he INITIATES our faith... which means that a process begins... it means that we are growing and being changed from our core. Everything about our life changes when looking at Jesus... and then the witnesses that are seeing our Faith will also change, not by what I am doing, but by what Jesus is doing In Me.

In the long run, I cannot be looking back at the eyes that are looking at me because they will cause me to get off course, but I must look into the face of Jesus, my saving grace that perfects my FAITH, so I can run with endurance...

I can not let the fear of leaving people behind keep me from running... but I can only pray that they will find who I am running to.