DON'T SPOIL YOUR APPETITE

A few weeks ago, I attended a business conference in Orlando, Florida. I was one of about 800 attendees, and the purpose of the conference was to learn more about a conceptual planning process that helps our clients create and keep more wealth. ("Wealth" is a relative term by the way. Whether God has blessed you with $1000 or $1,000,000, that is your wealth.)


This is the second time I have attended this conference, and there are a number of things that I like about it, among them:
 1. The creator of this planning process is an affable, intelligent, creative Christian who does not hesitate to speak of his faith. His friends call him "Don Buddy".

2. The majority - over 90% by my estimate - of the attendees are not affiliated with the company I work with. This gives me a different perspective.

3. There is a hunger and thirst for new knowledge, as well as the mastery of "old knowledge". I find it very refreshing to be among men & women who desire to be better at their God-given vocation, willing to give up their time and money to improve their professional skills.

The youngest person I met while there was 28 years old. The oldest was 80, and he still has great enthusiasm for his work. This man absolutely loves working with people, especially young people, to help them improve their financial strategies. He has attended over 15 of these conferences, which are held in January of each year. When asked why he continues to attend, year after year, he smiles and responds "because you can't learn less by being here." He seemed to have an insatiable appetite for knowledge, and a desire to share his knowledge with others.

While attending the conference, the Lord reminded me that my appetite for His word is often lacking. Truth be told - sometimes almost non-existent. Why is it that I have a hunger for knowledge and its application in my career that often exceeds my desire to be reading, studying, and applying the divinely inspired word of God? Is it just me, or have you "been there" too?

There are things that I know to be true about scripture. For example: It is divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16); it is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path in life (Psalm 119:104-106), it is a weapon of warfare (Ephesians 6:16-18). The word of God judges my thoughts and attitudes (Hebrews 4:12), and it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). I know all this, and I believe it to be true, and yet sometimes I have no appetite for the word. How can this be?

When I was a kid, my mother would sometimes scold me for snacking shortly before dinner. "You're going to spoil your appetite!", she would say. She meant that I would be filled up by the snack and I would have little or no appetite for the meal she had worked hard to prepare, which was far more nutritious than what I had chosen to snack on.

What is it that "spoils the appetite" for God's word? I suppose it can be just about anything, and my guess is that it varies by individual. For me, it can be too much work, too much television, the cares of this world, and my own sin. And this is just a partial list!

What about you? Is there anything spoiling your appetite for God's word?

Think about it...

Soli Deo Gloria

John