Last week I got a text from my husband saying that he had just stopped at our local bakery and bought a loaf of bread. It was still warm so he couldn’t resist. It was seven grain so I’m going to say it was healthy. There are few things more comforting to me than fresh bread. The smell alone is tempting. Then to cut a slice and slather it with real creamy butter (not the healthy, nasty tasting spread) is beyond compare. Is your mouth watering yet?
I mentioned to a friend recently that it is a shame there isn’t a diet plan that includes lots of bread. She said that there is—you just have to keep buying a bigger wardrobe! Very true. I guess moderation is the key.
However, I don’t think that it is any accident that bread is so satisfying to us. Bread is frequently mentioned in the Bible. It is certainly not the same preservative-filled, nutrient stripped, smooshie white bread we know. Naturally it was whole-grain and was usually unleavened. God provided manna for the Israelites when they were wandering in the desert and referred to it as the “bread from heaven.” God satisfied their physical needs every day for forty years. Of course they complained but it had to be good….God made it!
Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life. Those who eat of this bread will be eternally satisfied.
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 ESV
If that is the case, why do we as Christians spend so much of our life being dissatisfied? Most likely because we have taken our eyes off the One who satisfies. We get caught in the traps of this life. There is no way you can watch the commercials on TV or drive down the road seeing billboards and not become at least a little dissatisfied. Otherwise, those who market to us would be out of a job! The promises to be richer, thinner, happier, prettier, stronger, healthier and smarter are all around us.
So, that’s what we spend our time doing—trying to achieve impossible goals. These pursuits are not in and of themselves bad—unless they keep us distracted and, therefore, leave us empty.
Paul had the right idea in his letter to Philippians.
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 ESV
He had his mind focused on the goal of his calling. I almost picture it like having blinders on so that we can focus on what really matters. It’s so easy to say but so difficult to do. I equate being satisfied with contentment. I found this verse this morning:
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 ESV
This verse had two valuable lessons for me:
· Be thankful for what I have
· I am never alone
Starting our prayers with thanking and praising God for what He has provided and who He is would be a great place to start. I frequently write in my journal a list of things for which I am thankful. It doesn’t have to be grand things—for instance a hot cup of coffee {hot cocoa, hot tea…you get the idea} on a snowy morning.
The next time you have a nice slice of bread and butter, don’t forgot who provided it and remember to be satisfied not only in the physical sustenance but also in the One who provides for all of our needs.
Have a great day!