“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.” (Isa. 50:4)
My wife and I will be grandparents again in August. We just returned from visiting our son and daughter-in-law. It seems the words and the advice are timeless: “Remember, you’re eating for two.”
I admit that I skip too many meals. I like breakfast at almost any time except breakfast time. I do a cup of coffee instead (really several cups). Not good advice for expectant moms. Doctors continually emphasize the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy, because the mother’s diet has a strong bearing on the development of the unborn child. On the other hand, don’t eat too much. Balance is the key.
All of this got me to thinking. Eating for two has a spiritual application. When I am serious about my Christianity, I am aware of my responsibility to help others experience the new birth. I was born to bear, won to win. If I am serious about Jesus’ commission and my responsibility, I am eating for two.
Eating the wrong foods or insufficient quantities will lead to malnutrition, both for me and for those I try to influence and teach. Eating the wrong spiritual foods may pollute my own soul, and ruin my influence. Eating too little may fail to sustain my spiritual vitality. If I receive too little spiritual nourishment, I may not be able to reproduce at all.
David understood that a right relationship with God is the source of spiritual life and growth and makes it possible to teach the ways of God (Psalm 51:12-13). Isaiah saw that what God teaches could feed his own weary soul. If you’re serious about your Christianity and sharing the good news with others, remember: You’re eating for two.
The only sermon your neighbor ever sees may be you.