HUNGRY...WHY WAIT?

I love the Snickers commercials that use this slogan because I think in a lot of ways it's true. Life can be crazy at times and just like we can't always wait for the perfect moment to feed our growling stomachs, we need to also see to it that we feed our starving souls.

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore brothers, I urge you in view of God's mercy, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, for this is your spiritual act of WORSHIP."

This might be one of the most referenced verses in the New Testament. It is a great verse because it reminds us that because of what God has done in creating, sustaining and forgiving all of us, the only proper response is to worship him. While this idea of responding to God is worship sounds good and noble, the reality is that it is often hard to worship anybody but ourselves. Despite the fact that worship SHOULD encompass our entire life, it usually consists of church once or twice a week or not even that. If God has really changed your whole heart and life from the inside out, what can you do differently to give him the true worship he deserves?

Donald Whitney in his book Spiritual disciplines of the Christian Life talks about the progression of worship that begins with focusing on God so that we can appreciate who He is and what He has done, and then respond accordingly. When I think about this cycle and my own lifestyle of worship I quickly realize that I rarely get past the focusing part. I rarely take time to think about God during my busy day and when I do, thoughts of him get crowded out by things my brain says are more important. Focusing on God is something you and I must discipline ourselves to do. If you do, I think you will find like I have that appreciation towards God comes quickly and the overwhelming desire to worship isn't far behind. So focusing is key. How can you find time to focus on God amidst a life that is moving a million miles an hour in a thousand different directions? Here are some things that help me:

• Open the Bible and read about God in his word
• Write down verses that remind you of who God is and put them in places where you see them often like in the car, in your wallet or on the mirror.
• Keep a list of things you're praying for and keep track of how God answers prayers - you'll be amazed!
  
• Listen to songs that with lyrics reminding you of God's qualities
• Listen to other people talk about who God is and how he's working. (This can happen at church, in a Bible study, or by listening to podcasts burned to a CD in your car- Francis Chan, John Piper, Matt Chandler, and Tommy Nelson are some of my favorites. Click on their pictures below to go right to their podcast webpage.
  

The bottom line is that if we want to grow spiritually we have to feed ourselves with Bible intake to help us grow. If you have ever seen a high school or college football player eat, you know it is quite a scene. These guys will eat everything in sight and then some to put on all the weight they can. Are we like this with our spiritual food? We should be.