If you attend a church that is not centered on Jesus Christ, or does not accurately proclaim God’s Word, it would be obvious why you are not receiving spiritual nourishment. In such a case, it would be a good idea to find a church that does. However, if God’s Word is being taught in your church but you come to feel like you are not being spiritually fed, YOU might be the problem. In other words, maybe you need to pick up your own “knife and fork.”
Here are three common reasons why people feel unfed in a church:
1. They are too lazy to take responsibility for their spiritual development. Some people actually expect others in the church to prepare the meal, prepare the table, lay out the silverware, and THEN cut up the meat, grind it down, and stick it in their mouth for them – like a helpless baby. When a baby is fed, everything is done for him. A bottle is put into his mouth and all he has to do is suck. He’s spoon-fed with baby food, already ground and strained. He doesn’t even have to chew. Just swallow.
Feeding an adult is different. The cooked meat is served on a platter with a knife and fork. But the adult has to take responsibility to cut up his own meat. He has the responsibility to stick it in his mouth for himself. And he has to chew it himself. No one else can do that for you.
2. They fail to serve others because of self-centeredness. Jesus clearly communicated that we are fed when we serve others. “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me…” (John 4:32,34). The meat you need is to get busy serving others. Hebrews says, “At a time when you OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS… you still have need that one give you milk” (Hebrews 5:12).
3. Their personal relationship with Christ is not healthy. Jesus Himself is all we need. It doesn’t matter the environment we are in – a good church, a bad church, or even a prison cell – Christ promises to be our source of nourishment.
Here are three common reasons why people feel unfed in a church:
1. They are too lazy to take responsibility for their spiritual development. Some people actually expect others in the church to prepare the meal, prepare the table, lay out the silverware, and THEN cut up the meat, grind it down, and stick it in their mouth for them – like a helpless baby. When a baby is fed, everything is done for him. A bottle is put into his mouth and all he has to do is suck. He’s spoon-fed with baby food, already ground and strained. He doesn’t even have to chew. Just swallow.
Feeding an adult is different. The cooked meat is served on a platter with a knife and fork. But the adult has to take responsibility to cut up his own meat. He has the responsibility to stick it in his mouth for himself. And he has to chew it himself. No one else can do that for you.
2. They fail to serve others because of self-centeredness. Jesus clearly communicated that we are fed when we serve others. “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me…” (John 4:32,34). The meat you need is to get busy serving others. Hebrews says, “At a time when you OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS… you still have need that one give you milk” (Hebrews 5:12).
3. Their personal relationship with Christ is not healthy. Jesus Himself is all we need. It doesn’t matter the environment we are in – a good church, a bad church, or even a prison cell – Christ promises to be our source of nourishment.
- And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35).
- In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)
Here Jesus promises to be all that we ever need in regards to our spiritual hunger being satisfied. So if Jesus is not doing this for you then you should probably be looking in the mirror and asking yourself why, instead of blaming your church. You cannot blame others for the emptiness you feel.
Knowing this, nobody can ever say “I’m not being fed” with any integrity ever again.
Knowing this, nobody can ever say “I’m not being fed” with any integrity ever again.
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