My Food is To Do God's Will

"'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.'" John 4:34

After Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman, He met up with His disciples who urged Him to 'eat something' and His first response was "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." Then, when they wondered if someone else had brought Him food, the above verse was His response. His food was to do God's will. WOW!

Have you ever had someone urge you to eat when you're fasting or when you're trying to eat less? 'You have to eat,' they say. 'It's not good for you to starve.' 'Your body was made for food,' etc. And while all those may be true, there are times that we're to worry a whole lot less about the food we eat and a whole lot more about the will of the Lord and what work He has for us.

I remember times in the past - particularly one family camping weekend - when I would think about when we'd eat before we even left and wonder if I should pack things to take along so we wouldn't starve. Now I laugh at myself (thankfully I can). STARVE!?!?! Really??? I have enough body fat that it would take awhile for me to look like I'm starving. Being hungry and starving are far different things. I would eat again. I would eat that day. I wouldn't necessarily eat on my schedule that I was used to. And yet, thinking about it would drive me crazy. It would make me not even want to go.

I've noticed lately how one side of my family plans their functions around meals. Now, I understand that we all have children who typically eat on a schedule. But, as we plan our days out, meals are a top priority. Then the other side of my family plans their fun activities and figures that we'll eat when we have time, whatever we can grab, and it doesn't truly matter. Guess which side is heavier. 

The Bible tells us not to worry about food, and we always think of that verse in terms of God providing for us so we don't have to wonder where our meals will come from. I think this verse above speaks more to the fact that we're not to think about food but rather focus on God and finish the work He has called us to do.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son and the example that Jesus is to us. Thank You that even though He was human and hungry, He knew that serving You and doing Your will was far more important than food. Please help us learn this lesson in whatever way You mean for us to 'digest' it. Help us do Your will and finish Your work here on earth. Thank You for providing for us both physically with food and spiritually with Your Word. Keep us growing on the inside and slimming down on the outside. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

An Easier Way?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" Matthew 16:24

I was listening to a sermon this past Sunday and just a small snippet of it focused on the temptation on going an easier way. The entire sermon was on living up to your potential and not taking the 'shadow mission' which looks good but is 10 degrees off our actual purpose in life. If Esther would have taken her 'shadow mission' she would have just been a beauty queen instead of serving her purpose of saving Israel. We have a unique plan from God, but we need to keep on the right track.

The speaker then went on to talk about Jesus' suffering and how sometimes to live up to our mission, we're going to have to take the tough road. One example he used was from Matthew 4:2-4: "After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'" First of all, I can't imagine fasting for 40 days and nights. Trying to fast one day has felt like an eternity to me. Jesus had the power to make bread for Himself, and yet He knew that He must withhold for some reason that God had called Him to - maybe to make the exact point that we are to live on the words of God.

His point in these verses was that Satan kept trying to tempt Him to take the easy road. That's why when Peter said that Jesus didn't have to suffer on the cross, Jesus answered him so sharply with "get behind me, Satan!" See Matthew 16:20-24. Jesus knew that the suffering on the cross was God's will so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

As I thought about these words and everything Jesus went through, I realized that there probably must be some suffering in this journey of losing weight. Saying no to particular foods feels like suffering to me! Exercising can feel like suffering. There are days that I want God to just snap His fingers and make me skinny. And I firmly believe He could. But, He has a grander plan for my life. Suffering is probably a part of that so that I learn to live on His Word in the process. As the above verse states, we're going to have to deny ourselves to follow Jesus. Let's start with food & comfort and see where God takes us on this journey to be what He has called us to be. Pray for me, and I will pray for you!

Dear Heavenly Father, I lay myself and my dear friends reading this down before you. The sound of suffering sounds... well, painful, to be honest. I don't like suffering. You know my heart, Lord. And yet, I truly do want to be Your follower. Help me to deny myself and take up my cross to be who You want me to be. Help those reading this as well. God, I can't imagine the torture of fasting 40 days and nights. Please help us live on Your words rather than the comfort of food. Please help us in this journey to be healthy and thin... may we not just seek the world's approval but rather Your good & pleasant will for our lives. We honor You and lay our hearts & bodies & minds before You. Lord, have Your way. Your kingdom come, Your will be done. We love You and honor You today. In Jesus' name, AMEN!