What Do You Expect From Your Time With God?
A few days ago, I told you about my current battle of the bulge. As I embarked on this journey, I realized one of the first things I needed to do was adjust my attitude about food. I love food. I crave good things to eat. I long for chocolaty desserts and pizzas topped with crunchy bacon and lots of cheese. In my mind, food that tasted yummy was good. And each day, I looked forward to meal after meal of “good food.” I took to heart the words of the prophet Isaiah, “…let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.” But little did I pay heed to the truth that if I didn’t change my habits of eating and drinking, I might very well die tomorrow.
So, the first thing that had to change was my thinking. I had to decide once and for all what qualified as “good food.” I needed to come face-to-face with the sobering fact that the primary purpose of food is not enjoyment, nor is it intended to cope with stress. Nope, food fuels the body. That’s it! The better the fuel, the better we get through this life.
Now, that’s not to say we can’t or shouldn’t appreciate food that tastes good, but when that’s all that matters, well, we have a problem. I planned every meal to be whatever my taste buds (or hormones) craved. Steak and baked potatoes. Burgers and fries. Heavy-laden tacos. And, of course, sugary desserts and drinks. I looked forward to my meals with an unhealthy expectation, wanting each to be as good—if not better—than the last. I don’t know about you, but never in my life have I craved a meal of grilled fish and brussel sprouts!
Part of my food attitude change is approaching meals with much less hype and expectation. Food is fuel. Sometimes, that food will hit the spot and be satisfying to the tastebuds. Other times, it may seem bland and boring. But if it’s the proper fuel, that’s all that matters. Every meal doesn’t have to be a grand event. Sometimes, a PB&J will do the trick.
Interestingly enough, I was reminded this morning how this attitude adjustment plays a crucial role in my spiritual meals as well. I love spending time in God’s Word and in prayer with Him. I covet our quiet time together. And when God opens my eyes to great truths found in the pages of my Bible, I’m more excited than a child on Christmas morning. Spiritual meals like that inspire me to go back for more.
But not every spiritual meal is the same. Some days, I run eagerly to my quiet time with God only to be met with silence. I read my Bible. Nothing. I pray, but I feel no moving of the Spirit. I sit quietly, waiting for something—anything—from God, but in the end, I walk away feeling like my devotions were a waste of time. Looking back, I wonder if I was simply going through the motions since it didn’t seem like my heart was in it. After all, if it were, I would have felt or heard something, right?
The truth is, not every moment with God will be a mountaintop experience. Some days will be simple and quiet. Nothing fancy. Nothing that seems to have made a difference. But we must not allow ourselves to get caught up in that vein of thinking because if we do, we’ll view our time with God as a waste and stop doing it altogether.
Instead, we need to adopt the attitude that our time with God is our spiritual meal for the day, and while it may not be as exciting as the day before, we must eat. We need the nourishment, and often we may not realize at the moment how God nourished us in that time that seemed so unproductive.
I’m not talking about simply going through the motions, but rather of adjusting our expectations. Instead of approaching our time with God expecting great insights and feelings of being so close we could reach out and touch Him, we should approach it with a heart willing to accept the daily “meal,” whatever it may be. If God moves compellingly, we’ll be pleased, but if He doesn’t, we won’t be disappointed.
Concerning my natural diet, it would be ludicrous for me to say, “If I can’t eat junk food and drink sodas all the time, I just won’t eat anything at all!” I’d die. My body needs energy. Likewise, it would be unwise for us to walk away from our daily time with God because every day isn’t an earth-shaking breakthrough. We still need to eat. We require that spiritual food, whether or not we realize its benefits at the moment. God’s Word is our daily bread, and our quiet time with God is the most important meal of the day. Let’s not forsake it!
“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”