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Hungry?

I know it's been out for a while, but I like the Snickers commercial with Betty White. You can watch it here.

‘You’re not you when you’re hungry.’

Have you ever been really hungry? I think food is a funny thing. We have to eat. I know some people say that since you have to eat, it may as well taste good. On the other hand, rice and beans seem to keep people alive just as well as steak and lobster. I’m no vegan, but I just think we make a big deal about what we eat.

Perhaps the Snickers people are right. Maybe you aren’t you when you’re hungry.
John 4 opens with the familiar story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. I want to skip to the end when Jesus’ disciples come back with food. We’re told that they had stopped because Jesus was tired from the journey. Now the disciples have food and Jesus does not seem interested.

"My food is to do the will of God" John 4:34.

Food is what energizes us. It is what gives us the ability to go on. Jesus tells us that His food is to do God’s will. What’s your food? What drives you? I think most of you, because you’re quizzers and because you’re in a church, would like to answer that your food if God’s will. I’d like to challenge that.

Ever found yourself walking around the halls at school at such a pace that is guaranteed to get you close to that guy or girl you’ve been adoring from a distance? Ever pushed just a little harder in a game or sport because you couldn’t stand to let the other person win? Have you ever changed your schedule around to be sure to watch a certain show?

The list goes on and on. How many of you schedule your lives so you can excel at academics? Sports? How many of you work hard to make sure your Facebook status updates get the most ‘likes’? While there is nothing inherently wrong in doing our best in all areas of our lives, we do find out what our food is by what gives us the most energy.

If you do not have the same drive to get up for some time with God as you do for an all-nighter of playing Halo, then you know what your food is. (Or playing with Barbies and having pillow fights, if you’re a girl.)

Jesus says as much to people in John 6, after the feeding of the 5,000. I imagine that people had bragging rights for a while after that feeding. ‘Yeah, I was totally there that day. It was awesome. There was so much bread. I didn’t eat for a whole day after that.’ But Jesus says this. 'You're only looking for me because you want more food, like I'm some bread-making reality show waiting to happen. Call me Bread Boss, but I'm not interested' John 6:26-27.

So what are you hungry for? When you hunger for the things that God hungers for, you become the child that God has been desiring you to be. Jesus sums it up well in John 6:53-57. When you hunger for Jesus, it becomes His life in yours.

I guess it’s true; you’re not you when you’re hungry. That’s the point.

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