How To Feel Full For Life
“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table.” — A.W. Tozer
I have filled my closets with new clothes, my walls with shiny awards, my puffed-up ego with compliments, my two-faced heart with the desires of man. I have pulled up to these computer keys and treated my inbox like a gas station, looking for someone to fill my tank with words of approval and love and acceptance.
I’ve wanted a filling from my children, my parents, my husband, my friends, my pastor and my church.
On my way to the filling stations, I pass by the table, the Father’s table, the one that fills to abundance when we first empty ourselves of the things that satisfy only for moments or minutes.
But He calls to me: Sit, child. You are starving. And don’t just sit, but feast. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Because we could do that, you know? We could sit at His table, and still starve because we aren’t convinced that His Bread will nourish. Even though He sets this table before us, we could starve right there with our elbows on the table.
We could starve right there … in the pews of our churches, where we think that the right way to God is through religion, rather than relationship. I’ve been there.
We could starve right there … in the open words of the Bible, thinking that the words we read apply to our neighbors rather than ourselves. I’ve been there.
We could starve right there … in the hard chase after accomplishment, because we think self-glory will bring more fullness than God. I’ve been there.
We could starve right there … in the middle of our religion because we are too focused on the “right opinions” that we hold than in the worship of the Living God.
I don’t want to starve at your table, Father. Empty me of my vain desires, and fill me to the full with Your Spirit.
***
This is my first time participating in The Gypsy Mama’s Five-Minute Friday prompt. And today, five minutes was all I had. (Well, actually eight minutes!) Care to participate with The Gypsy Mama? Click here!
Today’s writers were encouraged to write for five minutes on this one-word prompt: full.
Here’s how Five-Minute Friday works, according to The Gypsy Mama: “On Fridays around these parts we like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker. We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.”
Yes – let us not walk away wanting when You have so much You long to give.
Thank you for this reminder, loved it.
AMAZINGLY POWERFUL post sister!!! LOVED it! Just love your heartfelt and spirit filled words!
Blessings,
Cherie
“I have pulled up to these computer keys and treated my inbox like a gas station,” — oh man, kapow! Yes. Me too.
A phenomenally beautiful reminder!
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your writing prompt, Lisa-Jo. I really appreciated your thoughts today, too.
oh my. such truth. thank you 🙂
A wonderful post full of imagery and life. Fill me God!
I reckon I just pulled up to the convicting station here.
And eight minutes, really? I like the style & lingo & attitude that the time crunch produced.
Blessings.
I felt it sounded snappy … almost bossy. It actually felt rather uncomfortable at first. But this was a good exercise for me … to just reach into the gut and pull up the words. And not look back …
If anybody needs any bossing, it’s me. I really think this was just the Holy Spirit cutting to the chase with my do-it-myself attitude, which I too often carry around.
Thanks, Darlene, for pulling up to the station alongside me. 🙂
What a great Tozer quote! And I love your sentiment — empty me of vain things so I can be filled by You. Lovely.
Hey Laura …
Yeah. I really like Tozer. I’m reading The Pursuit of God right now. My first time through. I’ve found myself highlighting lots of passages, so I suspect we’ll be quoting a lot of Tozer around here in the coming weeks. 🙂
“we could starve right there…” How often it’s me starving, and how many others I see around me, that are starving. Whew, I want the feast; I’m joining you there, friend.
A gorgeous five, I mean 8, minute write. 🙂
Wowzers, girl. Such a good, convicting word. (Not that my approval matters. Off to sit at the table a while . . .)
This is one amazing post and hit me to the core. Sometimes I do feel like I’m starving when the feast is right in front of me. Amazing and tweeting this one.
Hi Erin! Thanks for dropping by! And thank you for your Tweet. 🙂
Very thought-provoking…you totally nailed it…and ME, because I do this so often. Thanks for the post and for the comment love at The Home Front!
My first time to and I love it. Great and beautiful writing!
Love,
Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations
Hi Traci! What did you think of the five-minute prompt? I was sort of freaking out, but then just jumped in and let the words fly. Like I told someone earlier, I felt almost bossy writing it. But it was ME who needed the bossing. I have a thick skull. 🙂
hmmmm… powerful and True.
so many times i feel unfulfilled, unsatisfied… i doubt + i question + i compare + i look elsewhere = i become ungrateful.
“On my way to the filling stations, I pass by the table, the Father’s table, the one that fills to abundance when we first empty ourselves of the things that satisfy only for moments or minutes.” …He tells me He is enough. i must fight to believe it. to know it. in the very depths of my heart and mind and spirit.
Lord, thank You that you ARE enough. Your table is always full. Let us come to Your filling station and be FULL…
I sure wish I could get this much out in 8 minutes! It’s the relationship with Him that make those other relationships worthwhile.
good post.
I’ve been there too. We can starve at the table. Why don’t I get it? It’s not like me to pass up a meal.
I want to feast.
O honey chile, I do believe we share more than our Methodist roots! BANG – you got me. Yowza. So painfully true.
Do you know the George Herbert poem, “Love Bade Me Welcome?” Similar theme from 400 years ago or so. But he cuts right to the chase because I am increasingly convinced that all of this, “I can do, do, do for God” and/or “I can do this myself” mindset is a tangled messy web of pride AND deep disbelief that we deserve to feast. Read this aloud and see what I mean:
Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey’d Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack’d anything.
“A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here”;
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”
“Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
— George Herbert
It’s also a GORGEOUS acapella anthem by David Hurd – can’t find a listenable link, sadly, but the best one I’ve heard is by All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills CA on their “Silence and Music” CD.
Probably MUCH MORE info than you wanted/needed – but hey, you inspired me, what can I say??
“I have pulled up to these computer keys and treated my inbox like a gas station, looking for someone to fill my tank with words of approval and love and acceptance.”–yep! And yet, you always fill my tank.
Wow. Such good thoughts!! We fill up on the empty things of life and after all our feasting walk away starved. Very convicting, in fact I think I’ll put my computer away and go pull out my Bible for a feast. Thanks!!
So beautifully said. I am left in awe and inspired by your words, as well as, inspired to join in next Friday. I will admit the idea is a bit intimidating since I’m so new at blogging, but I think I will give it a whirl. Thanks for sharing and being so transparent; it gives so much value to your writing.
“I don’t want to starve at your table, Father”…amen…this cuts to the bone…reading Knowledge of The Holy by Tozer
It’s funny, isn’t it, how often in my desperation to feed those around me, I forget to eat myself?
This was beautiful, Jennifer.