I haven't gone grocery shopping in quite some time. In fact, I honestly can't remember the last time I went. When I do go, I buy a decent amount of stuff, that should last me for a little while. However... it's been more than a "little while" since I've gone, and I have to say, my food supply is pretty low.
So, I don't have much food. It's never an urgent issue because it's not like I'm starving or anything. Plus, there's nights that my grandma invites me over for supper, or I'm simply not even hungry because of eating a big lunch, or things like that. However, lately I have been home for my suppers, and I truly am exhausting what's left of my food supply. The funny part about this however, is that for some reason, I think my food supply will grow, even without going shopping for more food!
I get home, and I think to myself, "I should eat something." So, I open the fridge, scan my cupboards, and you know what? There's nothing more there than there was the day before when I did the same thing! It's as if I think little elves will stock my shelves and my refrigerator while I'm at work, and I'll suddenly be supplied with plenty to eat. But... it never happens... The refrigerator is still empty, the freezer still has the same items that were in there the day before (you can only eat ravioli so many days in a row). There's no more macaroni in the cupboard, and the three ounces of cereal left in the box are still stale. Oh... and the snack cupboard? Well, that was exhausted months ago!
Now isn't that interesting - in order for my food supply to go back up, in order for me to have something to make for supper, I need to take an action. I need to buy some food! (of course, that's costs money, and I don't like spending money either, haha) Our faith walk truly isn't much different. Here's some words of the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth -
"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?" --1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul reminded the people that they were still "infants in Christ," still feeding on milk and not solid food. In the proper context, they were fighting about who they should follow (Paul or Apollos), getting caught up in things that didn't really matter. They were losing sight of what, rather, WHO mattered, being Jesus Christ and His gospel. The bottom line is that they were not growing in their faith. They were stuck as infants, not maturing, not walking toward Christ, but rather spinning their wheels in the mud as things of the world continued to keep them stuck in the mud.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I were more faithful," or "I wish I could follow Jesus more closely." Maybe you've said, "I wish I knew my Bible better," or, "I wish I would pray more." These are all good things to desire - but, if they never grow out of desire into action, nothing is going to happen. In the same way my fridge and cupboards will stay bare if I never purchase anything to put into them, our hearts won't grow closer to Christ if we make no effort to do so. Don't get me wrong - we're not saved by our actions (we're saved ONLY by the grace of Christ, bleeding on the cross in our place). However, if we want to get past the start, and live a life that's fully His, we're going to have to work at it. We can't know our Bible if we don't get into it. Praying will not become more natural and easy to us if we never pray. We as humans love to compare ourselves with others. There's probably a person that you're thinking of who is like the "super-star Christian" that you'll never be like - well, stop thinking that way, because you can be a "super-star" too. Of course, I don't mean to act like a Christian, and appear to be a super-star - I mean think about the grace given to us, and live in thankfulness of that grace, with a desire to share it with others, and all of this stuff will come naturally. You can't get to know God better if you don't try.
So, my empty refrigerator reminds me of how empty my heart is sometimes. But, my heart will not grow closer to God if I don't do anything about it. Read. Talk to God. Live less for you and more for Him. It will come. You'll soon be eating solid food, actually living the life that displays thankfulness for His grace. But, you have to get up and move. Let's do it!
Posted by Ben ><>
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