Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Men, What Do You Crave?
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NIV).
We all have cravings. A craving is a deep desire that implies something stronger than a mere want or desire. Life is full of temptations and urgent problems which all serve as distractions from our spiritual cravings. So, how can we be expected to sustain a spiritual appetite? Below are five steps to consider.
1.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). His grace is infinitely stronger than our sin. A life lived in Him and for Him means that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Stand firm on His promises.
2.
We all have free will to choose how we feed ourselves. Some of us will try to complete themselves with work, promotions, status, salary, power, possessions, etc. These things feed the ego “flesh” but not the soul “spirit.” If you feed the flesh, you will never be satiated. Proverbs 15:14 teaches, “The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.”
3.
As Christian men we need to have a hunger for God and His word. There is nothing no important than Him and our relationship with Him. Everything else (family, work, house, hobbies, etc.) will all fall into place when we maintain a spiritual hunger for God. The hunger for God must be sincere and must be a natural product of prayer and submission to the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12). His secret was living through God and tapping into His strength.
4.
The Bible is God’s word and nourishment for our souls. Eating one healthy meal a week won’t keep your body healthy. The same is true for our spiritual health. We need to feed on His word every day. 1 Peter 2:2 teaches us, “You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.”
5.
Appetite is influenced by association
We influence each other. Our thoughts, opinions, accents, etc. are influenced by those close to us. Men need a band of brothers for the battle. We need others seeking God’s face in our foxhole. My weekly small group of men helps me to hunger for God. Proverbs 27:17 teaches us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Prayer: Dear God: We pray the prayer of Psalmist in Psalm 51:10. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Self-Control Can Vanquish Weakness In Trying Times
Self-Control Can Vanquish Weakness In Trying Times "A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back" (Proverbs 29:11 NASB). The Bible teaches us that self-control is essential to living a Christian life. We must exercise our self-control or we become controlled by our weakness. Whether it is food, alcohol, drugs or pornography, the enemy knows our weakness better than we do and will encourage us to go to it rather than to God in times of need. Our lives can soon be dominated by our weakness and we are living completely in the flesh rather than in the... -
Fathering A Special Needs Child
Fathering A Special Needs Child “1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3 (NIV) On April 26, 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the prevalence of autism in the United States. This surveillance study identified 1 in 59 children (1 in 37 boys and 1 in 151 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general... -
What Motivates You?
What Motivates You? “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Proverbs 16:2 NIV). We typically won’t do anything unless we are motivated to do so. We take action based on a variety of motivations. Our motivations can be positive or negative. Some of the common negative motivators include pride, anger, revenge, entitlement, or the desire for approval or to impress others. These motivations are clearly negative and come from a sinful flesh and do not honor God (Romans 8:8). Nothing is hidden from our Lord. He even evaluates the motivation of our hearts when we give offerings to...