Your spiritual growth still matters: 3 reasons to keep opening your Bible
A couple of years ago, I fell victim to my own poor planning. I woke up later than I should have one Thursday morning which resulted in me rushing to get my son and I out the door on time. My schedule that day was completely full with no time to stop between my part-time job and the other appointments I had. Due to my poor planning the night before, I had no food to take with me and there was no time to eat before leaving the house that morning. We rushed out the door, and I started my very full day. The adrenaline rush from our morning experience was hanging on as I went to my first appointment, however by the time I arrived at my part-time job around 11 am that day, I noticed that I was starting to feel a little hungry. I ignored it and went on about my business. By early afternoon I started to feel the physical side effects of not eating anything. I was nauseous and light headed. The physical side effects of not eating anything that morning also led to me being mentally distracted. I was having a very hard time focusing on the work around me because all I could think about was how hungry I was feeling.
The same is true for our spiritual walk. As our physical life needs nourishing in order to accomplish day-to-day tasks, our spiritual life must also be fed so that we can effectively live out the call that God has placed on our lives as ministry leaders. “Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”- Matthew 4:4 In order to grow closer to God, run the race with endurance, and strengthen ourselves for spiritual attacks, we must be consuming everlasting daily bread - the Word of God.
Nourished for Spiritual Growth
Every time I take my son to his wellness checks, the doctor asks him if he is eating his fruits and vegetables. He asks us this because he knows these are the types of food that are good for nourishment and that consuming them will ultimately help him grow effectively. There are so many other “good foods'' available to us on a daily basis. However, not all food is good for growth. At times, it can be tempting to look to society for fulfillment. While we may get a temporary fix from whatever source we are turning to, it will never be enough to sustain us. As Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread,” we must also pray that The Lord would give us our daily bread and then seek it out by fellowshipping with Him through His word. Consuming the everlasting Word of God is the only way in which we will effectively grow in our personal relationship with The Lord. If we aren’t nourishing ourselves spiritually, and cultivating our relationship with Jesus, we will not be able to properly minister to those in which God has called us to minister to.
Nourished to Run The Race
Let me first say that I am no athlete. However, I have watched many of my friends train for races or prepare to play in athletic sporting events. From watching these men and women prepare for their various sporting events, I can tell you that nutrition matters. What they put into their body prior to the race will affect the outcome of their training, as well as the sporting event itself. In the same way, the way we fuel our spiritual life matters. What we put into our life is what we are going to produce. Hebrews 12:1 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” As ministry leaders, we are called to run the race with endurance. Putting the Word of God in our heart everyday will help us to endure in the race that God has called us to run, and to encourage other believers that are also running their race.
Nourished for Spiritual Attack
We don’t always talk about spiritual attacks or spiritual warfare because it’s not a fun topic to discuss. However, the enemy is prowling around seeking to destroy. Especially targeting those that are doing the work of advancing the Kingdom of God. The Bible tells us that he only comes to “steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10). In order to be prepared for the spiritual attacks that will come, we must be filled with the truth of God’s word. It is the only way we will be able to defend ourselves against the tactics of the evil one. Consuming the word of God will also help us to not easily be distracted and recognize spiritual attacks when they are happening. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” If we are consistently filling our heart and mind with God’s word, we will have a firm foundation and be able to use His word to fight back against the evil one.
Before my dad passed away, he used to say “God didn’t have to give us his Word, but He did.” God has so freely shared His words of everlasting life with us. It is the daily bread that will never get too old to consume. It is there for us to fulfill our life every day. It is how we grow closer to him. Are you filling up with God’s word or the words of this perishing world?
Father, thank you for giving us daily bread through your word. I am sorry that I have taken it for granted at times in my life. I pray that we would consume it daily so we can in turn pour out to the people that you have placed in our lives to minister to.
