Are You Eating Jesus?
“Yoh! I’m hungry…” I said aloud as I leaned back and reached for my tea and rusks. As it went down, I felt like something that’d been very wrong was getting fixed. A real emptiness being filled.
This morning I made a cuppa’ tea, grabbed my bible and journal, and headed down to the water’s edge. A nice quiet spot to start the day. Once I’d settled into the swing chair with cushions behind my back, it hit me… hunger. Breakfast is usually my main meal of the day and I’ve been known to get rather hangry (hungry-angry) if I go without this particular meal. So, after sleeping in and a slow morning, it really did hit me like a punch in the gut, so hard that it literally hurt. And all of a sudden it dawned on me.
“Yoh! I’m hungry…” I said aloud as I leaned back and reached for my tea and rusks (hard cookies that you dunk in hot beverages).
As it went down, I felt like something that’d been very wrong was getting fixed. A real emptiness being filled. Like when you’ve been holding a pee for way too long and finally find a toilet. Or when you’re overheating and jump into ice cold water. Sweet relief. A sense of certainty that it’s all going to be okay now.
I often wonder to myself “How didn’t I notice it sooner? Why did I keep going until it was almost unbearable? Why don’t I just get some food?” Did I have to wait until it was screaming in my face, before acknowledging the gentle tapping on my shoulder? How come I only notice when I stop?
Stop.
The human body is not good at multitasking when it comes to food. You HAVE to stop and eat.
Well… YOU may not need to, but do you realise that your BODY needs you to? Without stopping, sitting, and taking your time to chew… your body cannot properly absorb all the nutrients that your food holds. This means that you’ll miss out on all the good stuff that your body absolutely NEEDS for survival. Without doing this you are inadvertently putting your body at a serious disadvantage. Over time, this causes deficiencies in the overall health of your body.
It’s easy to ignore that tapping on your shoulder when running a marathon. But when all is still and quiet, the tapping is the loudest thing in your world. I find that it’s the same with eating. When running hard all day, the tapping on my shoulder is just an annoyance that I’ve learned to push through. But just because it’s ignored, doesn’t mean it’s gone! It’s still there. Constant tapping… body pleading for an answer! When you stop long enough to realise what that tapping is, you suddenly have to address the situation.
Do something to stop it! Turn off the tap; eat the food!
Okay, so here’s my point. What about stopping for Jesus? What about a talk with Father God? Am I reading the Word and filling up on the Holy Spirit? Jesus said that He is the bread of life! (John 6:36)
My question is this: Are we eating Jesus?
This morning, when I finally heard my stomach’s desperate cry, I was quick to have my rusks and tea; quick to fill the physical stomach. I think it’s the same for our souls. We often walk around hungry, ignoring the tapping on our shoulder… irritated by it. But what if that tapping is Jesus knocking? What if that gnawing ache is telling us we need a refill, a feast on the Word of God. And unless we stop to address the situation, to recognise what that feeling is, to “do something about it!” we may find ourselves irritably lacking. Or perhaps you know what that feeling is and grab a quick meal on the run. A quick devotional, or the first scripture you open to… a three lined, half-hearted prayer, or a “weekly Sunday sermon.” But just like our bodies need to stop regularly to absorb all the nutrients of a good meal, perhaps it’s time we stopped regularly to absorb a decent spiritual meal. To feast on Christ himself.
I think it’s time to stop ignoring that gnawing ache inside. Perhaps it hasn’t clicked yet, or you haven’t realised what that tapping on your shoulder is. But like eating, some things are vital to survival. And like slowing down long enough to swallow, some things are vital to good health. Jesus is that vital ingredient. Relationship with God is imperative to good spiritual health. And refilling regularly is my best at not being “hangry” and going through life with an unidentified ache.
Are we eating Jesus?
Matthew 4:4
Man cannot live on bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
Isaiah 55:1-3
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink- even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk- it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Come to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. ‘Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life.’”