My son walked through the door, barely saying hello and immediately walked to the refrigerator. He opened every container searching for something to eat to satiate his hunger. After an arduous afternoon of rock climbing the rumbling in his stomach alerted him to his need for nourishment.
Not unlike physical hunger pangs, God has also placed within each of us a hunger for spiritual nourishment. One philosopher/theologian put it something like this, “There is a God shaped hole in each of us that only God through Jesus Christ can satisfy.”
Society tells us that meaning, value, purpose, and our identity are to be found largely in the acquisition of material goods. This is one reason why consumer debt, stress, and anxiety are so high, and why people are searching for ways to mend their fractured lives and find wholeness. Jesus knew our tendency to go our own way, so he told us to set our sights higher, and not to settle for the empty promises that our culture offers.
Research indicates that average church attendance is down to a staggering once per month. Out of 52 weeks that equates to 23% attendance. Surely being conformed to the image of Christ and how we treat our neighbor is a better measure of spiritual health than church attendance, but it is a good indicator of how we invest our time and what we value. If an Olympian, NFL player, or a world class musician only put in 23% effort they wouldn’t be very successful. Or if you only put in 23% effort at your job or your studies, you probably wouldn’t realize the success you envision for yourself.
Fortunately, we were made for so much more and Jesus points us in the right direction. When I was a new believer I didn’t know what it meant to follow Jesus and he led me to a verse that helped transform my life, and provided me with much needed guidance - Matthew 6:25-34
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?...These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Only God transforms lives. He asks us to take part in the process by putting ourselves in places where we can receive his grace – places like prayer, bible study, and worship. If you are at 23%, kick it up to twice per month, and if you are at twice a month, shoot for three or four. When you invest your time in these activities you are making an eternal investment - one that cannot perish, and one that will transform you in this life, and in the life to come.