When We’re in Need of a New Appetite for God

Are you in need of a new appetite for God? Friend, I am! I need one for food, too.

Folks champion chocolate. And a part of me cheers along with them.

“Choc-o-late! Choc-o-late!”

But there’s a part of me that cringes.

Here’s why.

I love chocolate. A lot.

But chocolate doesn’t love me–not really.

The headaches, racing heart, and weight gain assure.

But like a drug, I crave it.

Maybe it’s a magnesium deficiency. Low counts give rise to the question. Nonetheless, the craving lingers.

A few Christmases ago, I landed in the ER. My heart took on a mind of its own and started sprinting with a rate of 155 beats–waaay too fast for a forty-something.

Hello AFib.

Images of my own father’s battle with heart issues and their byproducts danced in my head. Visits to the cardiologist office found me surrounded by white-haired folks.

Me and my brown hair stuck out like a red poppy in a sea of white tulips. I felt certain.

A friend, who happened to be a nutritionist, came alongside and said, “Let me help.” I threw up the white flag and nodded permission.

That was the best decision I’ve ever made concerning my heart, my appetite, and my health.

We worked together for several months. I lost 43 lbs, although that wasn’t the goal. Health remained central.

I slept through the night–finally. I woke (hallelujah!) without headaches. The bags and discoloration under my eyes disappeared. Itching on my hand and foot simply exited the picture. What felt like an obstruction in my throat did too.

The pattern change in eating and supplements came because I clung to the hope of health and took intentional steps in its direction. But staying the course found me in a state in which I desired to please Suzi, my friend, more than God.

Ouch! I needed a new appetite.

Nine months after beginning the journey with Suzi, I quit. I couldn’t keep up the people-pleasing pace any longer. It stressed me out!

I loved how I looked and felt, and she was fantastic. But I stood too absorbed in pleasing her versus God.

The eating habits shifted just a bit after venturing on my own. Then more. And more. Sweets and chocolate eventually regained far too much ground in this appetite of mine.

And although I suppose there’s nothing wrong with a little chocolate here and there, maybe even a sweet or two, it creates a hurtful appetite within some of us. Trust me–I’d live off candy store goods if given opportunity.

But not everything permissible is beneficial.

Although the Bible offers this in light of sexual immorality (1 CO 6:12), it proves true with food and other areas of our lives.

Sometimes we simply need a new appetite.

Today I find myself with dark circles under the eyes and several other returning symptoms. But also today, I’ve made a declaration: I need a new appetite.

Greens and chicken, berries and nuts–they call my name. But this new appetite is not only for the eat-it-with-a-fork-and-spoon food. I also need a new appetite, a healthier one, for Jesus.

Sooo…people pleasing must go. 

I’ll be eating those salads tossed with arugula and spinach. (Had some for breakfast as a matter of fact!) Raspberries and blueberries too. But I’ll also devour more intimacy with the Lord, forging a new spiritual appetite, too.

How?

Here are five ways toward a new appetite for God.

Feel free to chew on a few of these, too.

1. Pray this more often: “Show me what’s in my heart, Lord, that which doesn’t belong in me. Then take it. Heal me.” 
2. Wait and watch until He points the direction–even when the flesh screams, “Go! Just do it yourself.”
3. Have hard conversations God ordains, even the ones that cause a girl’s stomach to churn or palms to sweat.
4. Transparency proves prudent. Begin to write and share more vulnerable messages–to allow God and others to see and use those stories of His glory.
5. Allow God to teach His definition of the word believe. Trust, listen, digest, and allow His understanding to nourish a more intimate relationship with the Almighty.

How about you? Have you been considering a new appetite, too? If so, I’d love to hear what the Lord is speaking to you, how you’re changing up the appetite. Throw those thoughts in the comments below.

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On occasion, iBelieve.com or Crosswalk.com affords the opportunity to incorporate writing assignments into my own Bible study. Bathsheba proved a candidate for this. If you’d like to study her story and see how it relates to yours, grab the Bible and this link at iBelieve. Often, the wisdom the Lord reveals astounds.

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Have a blessed week, friend, one that defies comfort, familiarity, and habits of the past. 😉