Why are so many Christians spiritually malnourished? Maybe it’s because they’re trying to survive on a starvation diet.
It’s odd. There’s plenty of spiritual food available. Yet many Christians only eat once a week. Admittedly, the once-a-week meal is usually a feast that a pastor prepares. Then, after we consume everything, we dab our mouths with communion napkins and go home to live hungry lives until we can slide into a pew for the next banquet.
What’s up? Why do some of us try to live on a diet consisting of only one or two meals every seven days? It’s bizarre! We’re not food-deprived. We could and should be enjoying a fantastic buffet every day.
When we don’t eat physical food, we soon become tired, weak, irritable, depressed, lack concentration, or fall sick. Something similar happens when we don’t eat spiritual food.
Just like we’re made to eat physical food, we’re made to eat spiritual food. One or two meals a week can’t sustain us, and a snack now and again is not enough. Physically, we need three square meals a day. Spiritually, we need a substantial, satisfying and balanced meal every day.
A child learns to suckle and then chew. Many Christians are spiritually malnourished because no one’s taught them how to eat the Word.
So, how do we learn to eat? By first learning how to live on milk and then learning how to live on solid food (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:13-14). Like everything in life, learning begins with understanding the elementary principles and practices and then building on that foundation.
Eating the Word commences with learning how to read, listen, digest, and apply the Scriptures. Once we master these things, we must learn to contemplate, interpret, study, memorize, pray, teach, and live the Scriptures.
When I was a boy, my diet was basic. As I grew older, I started eating a more comprehensive range of foods. In the same way, we must start with a basic diet and then add new foods as we grow. There’s a smorgasbord of fine foods to satisfy our palates. To grow spiritually, we must taste the different Bible engagement practices in order to enjoy the delights of God’s Word.
Our hunger needs to be satiated. We were made to feed on God’s Word. Spiritual malnourishment shouldn’t exist in the Church, but that will only happen when we learn to eat the Word.
To learn more, read the articles below.
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Summary
Many Christians are spiritually malnourished because they try to survive on just one or two meals a week, relying on the pastor’s sermon rather than engaging with the Word daily. While physical food is essential for our health, the same is true for spiritual nourishment, yet many neglect regular Bible study and prayer. Spiritual growth requires not just consuming the basics but learning to digest, study, and apply Scripture to our lives. To overcome spiritual malnourishment, Christians must develop consistent, varied practices for engaging with God’s Word, ensuring a balanced diet for their souls.
© Scripture Union Canada
