Does going into McDonald’s make me a hamburger? No. So does just going to church make me a Christian? No. Christianity is what we do, not where we go.

We’re so used to drive up food. What if we fed our Spiritual man on only drive up Christianity?

(Hebrews chapters 4,5,& 6 carefully and prayerfully read scripture)

What is the milk of the word as compared to the meat?

Let’s look at babies. Babies’ digestive systems are not well developed enough to handle or benefit from adult food. However adult’s digestive systems can sometimes develop intolerance to milk. You have all heard about lactose intolerance problems. How does this apply to us in the modern church?

First, why do we come to church? Is it because we want to see people we don’t get to see all week? Is it because we want to perform our Christian obligation for the week? Or is it because we desire to be nourished spiritually? Do we want to hear something new and different, or do we just know we will be bored by the same ol’ stories? I know for me the answer is all these depending on my life circumstances on that particular Sunday. I know that I should put more energy into my worship, but everything I do gets in the way of my Bible study, my prayer time, and my communication with my Bible study partners. My view is now that I am so busy, I don’t have time not to pray.

Second, how do we spend our time outside the church? Do we spend our time in worldly pursuits? Do we approach business in a cut throat, dog eat dog fashion, or do we allow Christ to be with us at work? Do we spend our time working at a job or a sport to the exclusion of all other activities including worship, Bible study, and fellowship? Do we set aside a time of the day for communion with God through prayer and study of His word? I know the answer to that one too. It depends on the circumstances of my life. If I have a paper to write, I put God off. If I have to travel somewhere, I pray quickly for safety. But does God put me off? No, God has never put me off or let me down. He has let me struggle with situations of my own making just to let me know that I am not in charge.

Thirdly, do we really lay aside all the carnal things that come between us and God? Or do we lay them down only to get back to them at a later date. Now carnal things are not just lust and desire, they are envy, hatred, gossip, slander, jealousy, etc. Let’s examine the music we like, the television programs we really like, or the movies we enjoy. What do these elements in our lives promote? Take a moment and examine what it is that you are most looking forward to doing after church or what you were doing last night. If Jesus were to arrive back on planet earth while you are engaged in that activity, would He be okay with that?

Now this is not to call anyone on the carpet. It is to make us all stop and think about the time in which we are living. We as Methodists are often accused of not knowing the Bible, living hypocritical lives, and not teaching the scriptures to our children. If we truly believe what the Bible teaches us, we know that Jesus will soon return and call his own into his arms. We must be absolutely sure we are prepared and spiritually strong to be able to discern false doctrine both within and without the church. We must at some point be spiritually able to stand up for what we believe, and that means knowing exactly what we do believe and what we do not believe.

How we feed our spirit will determine how spiritually fit we are. A diet of Spiritual junk food will result in weak spirits. If we are weak and our defenses are down, the enemy has us at his mercy. Our spiritual fitness will determine how able we are to resist the devil, exemplify Christ in our daily lives, and teach our children to follow Christ.

How we educate our children in Sunday school and at youth group will determine what they learn. These days the Christian education of the children is of most importance because there is nowhere else in their lives that they will get this very important information. Studies have shown that most professions of faith occur before age seventeen. After age seventeen, most people are not likely to convert unless there is a tragic life event to spur them into religion.

Would you take your children to McDonald’s for every meal they get? No, you as parents know the importance of balanced nutrition and home cooked meals.

© October 1997

Marilynn Newman