Are you feeding the spirit and starving the flesh?

I was visiting a church in San Diego this Sunday and the Pastor made a statement that stuck in my spirit and so I thought I’d write an article around his statement. His premise was that if we are to be victorious in our walk with Christ we must starve something and feed the other. The something that we must feed is the spirit and that something that we must starve is the flesh. He used the analogy of having two dogs and the idea of feeding one and starving the other. The outcome of course is that one would thrive and one would die, hence, the principle of starving the flesh and feeding the spirit. If we feed the spirit it will thrive, grow, and take root in our heart and mind conversely if we starve the flesh and its desires our flesh dies, that is we are no longer a slave to it, but a slave to the spirit.

The reason this stood out for me so profoundly is because if we are honest in the church we seem to be top heavy in the fleshly stuff, because we are so focused on stuff, and light weight in the spiritual, the things of God. If you don’t agree with me let’s take a look at lives and see which realm you are in:

If you feed the flesh and starve the spirit: (if you feed the spirit and starve the flesh your life is the opposite of these below.)

You spend a great deal of time watching television and less time, if any time, studying your bible.

You spend a good deal of time on the phone and very little time in prayer, if any time at all.

You spend a good deal of your time listening to secular music and hardly any time, if any, outside of church, listening to gospel music.

You plan family outing’s and trips but spend no time planning family prayer and devotion.

You spend an enormous amount of your time talking with your friends about folk (the good, the bad, and the ugly), about challenges and any other issue that’s plaguing the world, and little if any time in praise and worship.

You follow all the news topics, local, state and national but you have no clue on the things of God neither are you committed to ensuring that the things of God are your first and foremost priority.

You check book reflects your values. There’s high amounts paid to department stores, entertainment, houses, cars, and recreational vehicles, but very little in the area of tithing.

You can always find time for friends, family, work, sleep, recreation, computer games, etc, and yet you can’t find time for God. Your priority is not spending time getting to know Him in a very intimate way just as you would your spouse, your child, your job, or your companion.

You find yourself inserting how you would do something or handle a situation instead of sharing what the proper spiritual way is to handle things or situations.

You seek out the advice of people instead of seeking the will of God.

Your value systems are worldly and not spiritual.

You fight all your battles through your own strength instead of allowing God to fight your battles for you. Now don’t get me wrong you may pray for help and guidance but you fail to wait on His instruction and one of the most difficult things for you to do is to be still and know that He is God. You lack the ability of resting in Him and absolutely trusting Him. If you trusted Him you would not fight your own battles in your own strength.

You are not forgiving. Hot off the press – forgiving is not the act of forgiving only if the person apologizes but it is the act of forgiving when the person doesn’t apologize.

The bottom line to this exercise is that Jesus Himself told us that a time is coming and the time is now when God is seeking true worshippers. These worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

A true worshipper seeks the things of God and the things that will please Him.

A true disciple is one who loves those who spitefully use and abuse them.

A true disciple understands that God sits high and looks low protecting those who love Him. How do you show love? AHHHH glad you asked.

 You show Him you love Him by keeping His commandments.

You show Him you love Him by loving others.

You show Him that you love Him by acknowledging you no longer live for yourself but for Him for what He did on the cross.

You show Him you love Him by bearing fruit – love, peace, longsuffering, self-control, kindness, patience, joy, gentleness, faith, and meekness. Scriptures says when we bear much fruit that God is glorified.

So you see if you really want God to show up strong on your behalf. If you really want the blessings of God, if you really want to hear Him say well done good and faithful servant, if you truly want to live your life to His glory then you will feed the spirit and starve the flesh.