Spiritually Full or Undernourished
Have you ever said, "I am not being spiritually fed ... "? Yet, find yourself not getting your own Bible study time in by not being alone with the Lord each day? Are we satisfied in thinking that all we need is for the pastor to give us a full course meal on Sunday morning or couldn't we find a Bible study, Sunday school class, or a Care group to attend?
It is time for us to take responsibility for our Christian maturity. We can't blame the church for the emptiness we feel. We need to recognize that what we get out of the local church is what we put in. This would include our prayer life, our at-home worship to the Lord, and our daily studying of the Word of God. Then we will see real changes in our spiritual lives.
I am a firm believer that counseling is necessary for some people; but not for every little thing. Many answers to life's problems are already in God's Word. I have seen pastors and church workers almost burned out from constant counseling sessions. I pray for my pastor that he may not be overloaded.
We are not to be unhealthy, undernourished Christians; but we find that this comes about when there is a lack of getting into the Word of God for ourselves. We need to do our part in nourishing our spiritual lives. The pastors and guest speakers give messages and we are to have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. We are being fed the Word, but perhaps the problem is that we are not "hearing" what is being said. If we do not spend quality time with the Lord in prayer, worshipping, and renewing our minds with the Word, then we will be weak Christians. It stands to reason that if we become sensitive to the voice of the Lord (fine-tuned in our spirit), then we will hear what the Lord is speaking to us as individuals and as a corporate body.
The Lord tells us to grow up "In Him." Read the scriptures in the book of Ephesians and Colossians 2 & 3. They are what some call "meaty" chapters. They can help you if you are looking to get fed.
You may say that you do all these things, but each Sunday you seem to be hearing a watered-down message. In that case, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as to which church you should be attending. If you are not planted in the right place, He will lead you to the best church that will meet your needs.
He says we are to drink from the fountain of living waters - that is Him. Get into the Word and you will be fed. Please know that there are no perfect churches. None of us are without spot or blemish; but if we hunger and thirst after righteousness, His Word tells us we shall be filled. This means doing our part to get spiritual nourishment during the week and then at our mid-week or Sunday services, we will come away satisfied.
When we find our place and spend time with the Lord, believe me, we will have more than enough on our spiritual plates to digest during the week. That is because we will have opened our hearts to the Lord and received what we need from God.
Copyright © Cathy Irvin, used by permission.
