You'll be back. When the hunger knows no reason.

I've been following a blog written by a girl from my church ever since the single's group ended.  Her name is Jill and she has been utilizing the blog to continue her journey and understanding how to live for God as a single woman.  Her latest entry she talks about God speaking to her in a unique, creative and affective way: through food. The great thing about the analogy that God used is that it can be applied to anything, although in her case it applied to romantic relationships.  Anyways, I just thought it was brilliant realization and has me thinking about how it applies to my life as well.  I've copied and pasted some of the parts that really struck a chord with me, but if you have the time and the interest, you should check out the whole entry.

A brief recap into what she's talking about: God basically tells her the dead end relationships she has entered into are like eating snacks as your main source of food.

These snacks taste good, and they seem to alleviate your hunger, but in reality, they’re not giving you the nutrition that you need in order to thrive. Now, it’s not bad to eat snacks once in a while, but when you’re relying on them as your primary source of sustenance, you’re going to run into problems. It’s like eating a candy bar for dinner. It may take the edge off your hunger, but it’s not going to sustain you.

You’ve assumed that you’re supposed to get the spiritual ‘food’ you need from a relationship. And, as a matter of fact, you’re right! It is a relationship that will give you life. But here’s the roadblock: You thought that relationship was with another person, when in fact, you’ve really been designed to get life and sustenance from a relationship with me. Feasting with me means getting to know me, finding your life in me, and living according to my plan. Ultimately, that’s the only relationship that will satisfy you. Everything else will leave you wanting more.”

God listened to me patiently, and then he responded with this: “Jill, your excuses seem logical, but choosing snacks over the feast always has consequences. First, eating snacks spoils your appetite. When your stomach isn’t growling so loudly anymore, you’re lulled into a false feeling of satisfaction, but in reality, you’re slowly starving because you aren’t eating from the source of life.

Another problem is that the feeling of fullness they provide doesn’t last. Snacks just make you want more and more. So if your life comes from advancing in your career, then each promotion you get will satisfy you temporarily, but it won’t be long before you’re looking for the next advancement. Or if your life comes from human relationships, then you’ll never be satisfied unless you’re in one, and even when you are, you’ll be working to hold onto it or to find a better one. Snacks provide temporary relief from hunger, but they don’t provide a permanent source of life.

But here’s the worst part: If all you eat is snacks, you’re going to get fat. But while you’re getting fat, the ironic thing is that you’re also starving to death. Although you’re taking in plenty of calories, they’re empty calories – not containing the nutrients that you need. So ultimately, if all you eat is snacks, you’re going to die. That’s why you feel the way you do right now – as if you’re living but not alive.

And I HATE seeing you feel that way! That’s why I said in Matthew 5:6, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.’ You see, the cure for your emptiness is to seek after me; not snacks. If you eat from my feast, you will be filled, even if it doesn’t happen in the way you might have expected it to.

I know it’s difficult. But it’s just like going on a diet. When you first cut out snacking, it’s all you can think about 24/7. But eventually things start to change. You start to enjoy your meals more because you’re not filling up on snacks ahead of time. Plus, you’re able to fit into your clothes, and you start to feel better and more energetic in general. And if you stick to it long enough, your cravings will start to change. Instead of dreaming of brownies, you might actually begin to want fruit. You could never force yourself to change your desires, but when you make the choice to eat healthier foods, your feelings and your hunger will eventually follow.

It’s the same way with my feast. It’s really hard to forgo the snacks when that’s where you’ve been trying to get your life for so long. And truthfully, you can’t make yourself hunger after me. But if you make the choice to go after me instead of the snacks, I’ll meet you where you are, and I’ll start to change things. You’ll actually begin to enjoy hungering after me and eating from my feast. Your life will ‘fit’ better, and you’ll start to feel more alive. When you make the choice to hunger after me, your feelings will follow. That’s what I meant when I said in John 6:27 & 35, ‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”