Jesus answered them and said,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
John 6:26
I love dessert. Perhaps because my grandmothers were marvelous, country-style bakers. Or maybe because Mom taught me to make snickerdoodles at the tender age of eight. Then again, growing up in the shadow of the Wells Blue Bunny ice cream factory could be the source of my sweet tooth. Or the culprit could be our town’s wonderful Dutch bakery.
Whatever the reason for this love affair, I’ve learned something over the years. Dessert is more scrumptious than satisfying. Unless a balanced meal comes first, the most delectable and tantalizing desserts leave me feeling hungry.
The same principal holds true with my spiritual appetite. I love to listen to music, read good books, and watch movies that speak truth into my life. But unless the majority of my spiritual food comes from scripture where I can feast upon the Bread of Life, my spirit isn’t satisfied. My heart grows ravenous and impatient. Instead of allowing God to fill me with knowledge of His Son and His ways, I seek instant gratification. I turn up my nose when God works through small things, craving signs and wonders and miracles instead.
The same principal holds true for our church body, too. Potlucks and Super Bowl parties, retreats and birthday bashes with our brothers and sisters are delightful. A talented worship band leading music, accompanied by a razzle-dazzle slide show, is engaging. Church initiatives that reach out to lost people are desirable. But if our hearts aren’t first satisfied in Christ, who calls us to eat and drink of Him, we will walk away from these events feeling hungry. Without a steady diet of God’s truth during our corporate worship, in small group gatherings, and during personal quiet time, our energy will flag. We will grow discouraged when progress, as we define it, is hard to see.
This year, our church is at a crossroads. Now that we’re in our new building, we’ll be tempted to eat dessert first. We will be tempted to offer sweet stuff to lost beggars instead of the bread they so desperately need. To avoid temptation, we must choose to nourish our spirits in God’s word every day. To gain energy, we must chew upon the Christ revealed in scripture whenever we gather together. We must talk about what we’ve learned, apply it to our lives, and ask God to use it to make us more like His Son.
Only then, when we are filled with truth, can we enjoy dessert for what it is: a taste of heaven for those who have feasted on the Bread of Life and been satisfied.
