"In John 4:34 Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.' I can't say that...I do so much for me. So much of my 'food' stinks. It's fodder. I'd be a hypocrite to stand before you and say those words are mine. But Jesus could always say, 'My food, my sustenance; the thing I live for, is to do the will of My Father.' That's why how a man prays will tell you more about him, than how a man preaches."
-Paul Washer
I concur with our brother Paul Washer. I want my "food", my sustenance, the only thing I live for, to be the same as Jesus—to do the will of my Father and to accomplish His work. But more often than I'd like, my "food" unfortunately, is my desires, my opinions, my creature comforts and my will. And at times, when this is my "food", my prayers are filled with the same carnality.
Similar to many, I want to be liked and accepted. I want to be surrounded by a multitude of friends and be able to post pictures on social media, displaying the happy, care-free life I so desperately desire. I want to eat what I want and in the quantities I want to eat it, without gaining any weight. I want to have an hour glass figure without disciplining my body to exercise daily. I want to be a godly woman without daily reading, studying, meditating on and memorizing the Word of God. I want my days to effortlessly fall into place like a beautifully arranged set of dominoes. I want, I want, I want...and by the way, did I mention what I want? Sadly, yes I did, and so far, it's nothing that aligns with God's Word; therefore, it's not His will.
So then, I must ask myself, "How often do I mention Christ in my list of wants?" How often do I carefully consider all that I say, do and pray for in the light of the Gospel—the very thing my Father God used to grant me the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ? If I call myself a Christian, yet harbor and feed the desires of my flesh rather than starve them and feed my spirit, then I will give cause for the unbelieving world to malign the holy words of my Father (Rom 2:24).
But because of God's saving grace and the righteousness of Christ that the Father imputed to me, I have freedom from the bondage of the sin in my flesh. I have hope to fly on the wings of eagles and soar in the faith that God has granted me in Christ Jesus. If the Son of God were not the propitiation for my sins, I would have no other choice but to remain as I am—enslaved by the insanity of my pride and destined for Hell.
Thankfully, the LORD Almighty did choose to call me as His daughter before the foundation of the world...so I am free! I am no longer bound to the sin in my flesh and no longer feel trapped to live for myself and the "food" of this world. I am free to eat at the Lord's table and taste and see that He is good! I am free to cry out to my Savior and my God for help, and repent when I sinfully eat of the world's delicacies: pride, self-preservation, entitlement, gluttony, laziness and obstinance. I am free to throw off every weight and sin which clings so closely, so that I can run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith (Heb 12:2).
The only way I'll be able to more faithfully say my "food" is to do the will of God, I'll have to know what the will of God is. I can't know it by assuming His will is my will, by asking other people, listening to sermons, or reading books. While talking to more mature Christians, and listening to soundly doctrinal sermons, and reading books of the like can be helpful resources God may use, the Lord never meant for anyone or anything to replace our personal seeking of His will—revealed only in His Word (Is 54:13, Jer 31:34, 1 Cor 2:12-13).
Just like the Israelites had to daily rise early, every morning to gather manna (the bread from heaven), in order to maintain their physical health and strength; we too must daily rise early, every morning to feed ourselves with the Bread from Heaven, the Word of God (Jn 1:1; 6:33, 48-51) in order to maintain our spiritual health and strength. If we learn to daily feed ourselves with the Bread from Heaven, then our "food" and our prayers will be: to do the will of God and accomplish His work. And the aroma from the enticing and tantalizing "food" of this world (pride, selfishness, envy, gossip, slander, etc.) will become to us what it truly is—the stench of a cesspool.
May God create in me, and in all saints of Christ, hearts that hunger more for His will to be done, than for our comforts to be met.
Similar to many, I want to be liked and accepted. I want to be surrounded by a multitude of friends and be able to post pictures on social media, displaying the happy, care-free life I so desperately desire. I want to eat what I want and in the quantities I want to eat it, without gaining any weight. I want to have an hour glass figure without disciplining my body to exercise daily. I want to be a godly woman without daily reading, studying, meditating on and memorizing the Word of God. I want my days to effortlessly fall into place like a beautifully arranged set of dominoes. I want, I want, I want...and by the way, did I mention what I want? Sadly, yes I did, and so far, it's nothing that aligns with God's Word; therefore, it's not His will.
So then, I must ask myself, "How often do I mention Christ in my list of wants?" How often do I carefully consider all that I say, do and pray for in the light of the Gospel—the very thing my Father God used to grant me the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ? If I call myself a Christian, yet harbor and feed the desires of my flesh rather than starve them and feed my spirit, then I will give cause for the unbelieving world to malign the holy words of my Father (Rom 2:24).
But because of God's saving grace and the righteousness of Christ that the Father imputed to me, I have freedom from the bondage of the sin in my flesh. I have hope to fly on the wings of eagles and soar in the faith that God has granted me in Christ Jesus. If the Son of God were not the propitiation for my sins, I would have no other choice but to remain as I am—enslaved by the insanity of my pride and destined for Hell.
Thankfully, the LORD Almighty did choose to call me as His daughter before the foundation of the world...so I am free! I am no longer bound to the sin in my flesh and no longer feel trapped to live for myself and the "food" of this world. I am free to eat at the Lord's table and taste and see that He is good! I am free to cry out to my Savior and my God for help, and repent when I sinfully eat of the world's delicacies: pride, self-preservation, entitlement, gluttony, laziness and obstinance. I am free to throw off every weight and sin which clings so closely, so that I can run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith (Heb 12:2).
The only way I'll be able to more faithfully say my "food" is to do the will of God, I'll have to know what the will of God is. I can't know it by assuming His will is my will, by asking other people, listening to sermons, or reading books. While talking to more mature Christians, and listening to soundly doctrinal sermons, and reading books of the like can be helpful resources God may use, the Lord never meant for anyone or anything to replace our personal seeking of His will—revealed only in His Word (Is 54:13, Jer 31:34, 1 Cor 2:12-13).
Just like the Israelites had to daily rise early, every morning to gather manna (the bread from heaven), in order to maintain their physical health and strength; we too must daily rise early, every morning to feed ourselves with the Bread from Heaven, the Word of God (Jn 1:1; 6:33, 48-51) in order to maintain our spiritual health and strength. If we learn to daily feed ourselves with the Bread from Heaven, then our "food" and our prayers will be: to do the will of God and accomplish His work. And the aroma from the enticing and tantalizing "food" of this world (pride, selfishness, envy, gossip, slander, etc.) will become to us what it truly is—the stench of a cesspool.
May God create in me, and in all saints of Christ, hearts that hunger more for His will to be done, than for our comforts to be met.
