Living on Mission – Time to Eat

Living on Mission – Time to Eat

In John 4:27-38 we discover that it’s lunchtime. Jesus was hungry. My guess is that they didn’t have the discussion that often happens at my house to figure out what to eat. “Ok, what sounds good?” There were no drive-thru’s to choose from, no lunchables to pick up, no Little Debbie’s for a treat. The disciples didn’t go grab a bunch of junk food at the convenience store; they brought back real food. So, imagine their surprise when they gave Him lunch and Jesus said, “I have food you know nothing about… My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

Jesus knew that he needed more than physical food. (He did say that we can’t live on bread alone.) He needed to do the will of God.

What is the will of God? It can be summed up in this: Love God, Love People. There are many expressions, and sometimes God provides specific, detailed instructions about His will – but every single time the result will be loving God with everything we have and sincerely loving all people. THIS is nourishment that truly satisfies.

Can I be really candid? I enjoy junk food. (Give me Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich and ALL of the Diet Coke.) I don’t crave healthy food. (No sugar? No artificial ingredients? No chemical-filled fizzy drinks?) It’s hard to eat only healthy food. It’s not convenient. It’s not full of gooey yumminess. The reason I feel this way is because I have gotten used to eating things that taste good but are not what my body needs to be nourished and satisfied. I need to train myself to eat healthy food.

Could it be that we have become accustomed to living without nourishing spiritual food? Well, I have good news! There are opportunities every day for a will-of-God-feast. Doing the will of God is like spiritual health food. Are you feeling hungry?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and allow our hunger drive us to do the will of God. Just like Jesus, this is our food. This is our nourishment. This is our satisfaction. This is what makes us strong and healthy. It’s time to eat!

Pastor Angela