Appetite

Chocolate. Not so much hot chocolate or even milk chocolate, but dark chocolate. Pure solid dark chocolate. I have an appetite for it. The more I consume it, the more I crave it. Instant potatoes, dried milk, canned ravioli. No, I’d rather the real lumpy potatoes, the fresh milk and the homemade meatballs. The real stuff. When you’re consistently exposed to the “real thing” you develop an appetite for it and want less of substitutes or fillers.

We were created with natural appetites. An appetite for food is perhaps the most obvious appetite we have, but we were also gifted with the natural appetite for knowledge (the Word, literature, etc.). Besides food and knowledge we have appetites for entertainment, the arts, exercise, and relationships to name a few.

Speaking of appetites and training them, Sally Clark referring to Philippians 4:8,9 says, we ought to train our children (and ourselves) “not only to be discerning but to desire: whatever is true, rather than counterfeit; whatever is noble, rather than common; whatever is right, rather than just acceptable; whatever is pure, rather than corrupted; whatever is lovely (and beautiful), rather than base and ugly:; whatever is admirable, rather than just different or clever.” We should “prefer excellence over mediocrity and praiseworthiness over market-worthiness”

Do we have an appetite for what’s true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable? Or do we have the same appetites that the world has? How do our appetites measure up when it comes to our thoughts, conversations and entertainment? Are we used to feeding ourselves the same way the world feeds itself? Are we satisfied with what satisfies everyone else? Is our appetite for comfort and approval or for what pleases the Lord? Do we truly long for more than what the world has to offer? Is our appetite reflective of Christ in us?

Sometimes we satiate our appetites with nutrition-less junk food that only feeds our immaturity rather than our developing maturity.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for his is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14

Let us not fall into the trap of settling for less, and accepting substitutes that don’t measure up. Let us not be satisfied with milk, but instead long for the solids. Let us intentionally attempt to get out of the habit of being spoon fed and instead learn to search for nourishing growth inducing food. Let us also be aware of what we’re feeding our minds and spirits. I heard in a sermon once “junk in, junk out.” How true! We must be diligent what we feed/let into our hearts (conversations, media, literature, Internet, etc.).

“Lord, I pray that you stir a burning need in us to want more than what the world has to offer, and not only that but to want more than milk. Create in us an appetite for Your word that’s even greater than the appetites we have for food (Job 23:12). I pray that our hearts and the hearts of those we encourage will strive for spiritual maturity and not settle for being spiritual babes. Help us to guard our hearts and to only allow truth into them. Have us wanting more than a packed delivered sermon. Give an insatiable desire to discover the life giving truth of your Word. And in our filling, give us discernment to know the difference between feeling full (with busyness or spiritual check lists) and being satisfied (spiritual maturing). I pray that through this posting and the others on this blog that those reading it are encouraged and challenged to dig more into your word and to know you more.”

Written by Stephanie