Holiday meals are a special time when family members are intentional about gathering together around the table. There is plenty of food, and plenty of conversation. We enjoy conversation, laughter, and most importantly leftovers!!

When the meal is finished all of the partially eaten dishes are transferred into butter tubs and plastic bowls and put into the fridge, everyone goes into another room and in our case,starts complaining about how they’ll never be able to eat again, and takes a nap.

Later that evening, however someone (usually Beverly) reaches into the fridge and grabs that tub of butter that is full of butternut squash casserole; throws it in the microwave and precedes to nibble on it until once again, complaining that they’ll never be able to eat again. But the next day, the meat is a tad dry, the corn dip is gone, and the pumpkin cheesecake bites just aren’t as good as they were when Mom brought them over. The leftovers have officially reached the point where we have to throw them out. Just like the holiday, it’s over.

Sometimes we treat our spiritual lives the same way. We attend church on Sunday, let our ears soak up the sermon, fill ourselves with the sound of worship, and we leave feeling full, feeling like we are on top of the world. Then we move on with our lives. We get back to the motion of our lives. We go to work – we bathe the kids, tuck them in, turn on Netflix and go to bed.

The example Christ set for us – it wasn’t a once-a-week or once-a-month trip to a spiritual holiday meal… Jesus worshiped in the church – but he also consistently spent time talking to God, living the way God teaches us to live, and encouraging others to do the same. He didn’t live his life depending on spiritual leftovers.

You see, leftovers don’t last forever. Leftovers won’t hold you over until the next holiday. Nothing tastes the same, nothing will have the same smell or flavor. Nothing is the same as when you’re gathered around the island, gazing at your family, hearing everyone catching up over a plate of Mom’s hard work. Leftovers simply just don’t live up to that standard.. Same thing applies to our spiritual lives. Going to church and being moved and feeling the presence of the Lord, that feeling fades away if you don’t live your life constantly praising and talking to God. Throughout the week – if you just rely on the leftovers from church that Sunday, you won’t be satisfied.

Instill in us, Lord, an insatiable appetite for You. Awaken in us a hunger for your presence and for your word.

| ♡ Whoever claims to live in him, must live as Jesus did. 1 J O H N 2 : 6 ♡ |