Hungry

We all know what it is like to be sick. A recent bug in circulation seemed not to promote extreme symptoms, but just made people feel lousy. Maybe these aren't all linked to the same illness, but people have talked of losing their voice, having a scratchy throat, having a headache, having body aches, being extra tired, and generally feeling "blah." If I was fighting what it seems other people had, I also didn't have much appetite. When we are sick, we often don't feel much like eating.

Sometimes there are obvious reasons why we can't eat during an illness, but hopefully that only lasts for a day or two. When we are unable to eat or don't eat as much as normal, it doesn't take long for our bodies to feel the effect. As we fail to get nutrition into our systems, we become weaker. Even with something minor, it seems to take a few days to get back to normal. Those who go through a severe illness may need weeks to get their strength back.

As much as we may not want to eat due to illness or some other reason, we need to eat anyway. Even if it is just a token amount, it is still important to give our body sustenance. Failure to do so leads to increasing weakness, until we eventually reach the point that we are unable to do much of anything, (including having the energy to eat).

Even if food is ingested in small bits here and there, we must eat something to keep our body from shutting down. As we eat and are strengthened, we will want more and more food, and we continue building back to our previous condition.

The same is true of our spiritual health. There are times, whether during a significant event or something minor, that we don't feel like eating spiritual food - reading the Bible, going to church. Just like with our physical body, we must provide nutrition for our spiritual body. Failing to do so will lead to weakness and gradual decline until we reach the point that we are unable to do much of anything spiritually. The longer we go without consistent and substantial spiritual food, the more danger we are in.

At some point, the parallel between the physical and spiritual breaks down. Physically, if recovering from an illness, it is somewhat true that the more we eat the better; we need that in order to make up for what we had lost and get back to a normal level. The return of a healthy appetite is a good indicator that health has returned. Physically, however, there is a line that needs to be drawn. We can't keep eating more and more and still remain healthy.

Spiritually we can have that same gradual increase. As we begin to eat, perhaps in small portions, our appetite returns, and we regain strength. An appetite for the Word indicates renewed spiritual health. The difference is that from a spiritual perspective, we can keep on eating. It is impossible to take in too much of God's Word.

Not hungry? Eat anyway. Once you start to eat, you might be surprised to find out how hungry you really were and how much your spiritual man was crying out for food.

"Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." I Peter 2:2 (NASB)