A New Kind of Food

In general, I am not a very adventurous eater. I would be fine eating the same few foods every week- especially ones that I know are easy to cook and clean up after :) But a verse came up this weekend that so obviously related to fasting that I could not ignore it, and have been praying more today about what it could really look like in my life- am I finding nourishment, fulfillment in the right places?

The Word: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34

So in the obvious sense, I have been practicing this discipline of fasting because I realized after getting married, and continue to learn after having kids, what a selfish person I really am. I knew that I could never fully love or serve God and others with this selfishness getting in the way. So giving up lunch for a day reminds me that life is not about me and my needs, that there are a lot of hungry people in the world- physically and spirtually who need to hear and experience the Good News of Jesus Christ. But in an even deeper sense, I think about the many 'needs' Jesus had when He gave this answer to his disciples when they urged Him to eat- the disciples were looking out for Jesus' image trying to pull Him away from a Samaritan harlot, we are told in the story that Jesus was tired and thirsty, and He could have had a lot on His mind going to Galilee to face the Pharisee's questioning about his growing following. How often do I miss opportunities to experience the presence and restoration of God (like Jesus had with the Samaritan woman), because I am judgemental, apathetic, too physically tired, have a lot on my mind, or busy with things that do not have eternal significance. I think God has made me able to overcome distraction because of physical hunger now, but I know there are still other things I 'hunger' for throughout the day, that in the pursuit of I can miss opportunities to be fed with true food.

I was super tired after putting the kids down for naps today (maybe daylight savings?), but the thought of following up on a Youtube video I saw about Kony2012 and the Invisible Children filled me up with this kind of spiritual food I think Jesus is talking about. If you are reading this blog and you have not seen it, would you go to Youtube and search for it? I have not done anything yet, but I care a lot. There are a lot of worldly things that could distract me from taking some action! Would you hold me accountable to doing the will of God- defending the rights of the poor and opporessed, and finish His work in calling all people freedom in Christ!

Prayer: To be looking for God at work all around us and not be distracted by other worldly 'needs', and to experience this feeling of being fed with true food as we do the work of God.