My daughter, Scout, has been the easiest of the three children. She just turned 1 ½ years old. I’ve hardly had to teach her anything. She picks things up easily and makes good decisions for herself.
For example, about five months ago, or so, I saw Scout take a forkful of food, bring it to her lips, and realize it was hot. Instead of throwing a fit (as the others would), she started blowing on it! She blew until the food cooled down and then ate it. No drama. No fussing. She must have seen us blow on our food, or heard us explain it to the other two kids (who still don’t do it!), and understood why we did it.
My point is, the fact that Scout learned to feed herself makes supper time so much easier. We don’t have to chase her. We don’t have to cajole her. We don’t have to spoon-feed her. We don’t have to worry that she isn’t eating enough. She just eats.
I wish more Christians were like Scout. I wish they would learn to feed themselves on the Word of God. After all, believers should be reading and hearing God’s Word on a regular basis:
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (Joshua 1:8).
My church has commissioned me to start a new service. I’ll be the “pastor” for that service, responsible for organizing it and preaching every week. There is no Free Grace church in Denton, so I know the ministry is needed.
One of my goals is to teach people to be like Joshua (and Scout!). They should know how to feed themselves on God’s Word. I don’t want my Sunday sermon to be the only “meal” they eat that week. The fact is, most Christians are malnourished. They treat the Bible like a three-year-old who still expects to be spoon-fed, is extremely picky, and only wants the candy, instead of the meat and vegetables. When a child doesn’t know how to feed themselves, supper becomes a time of stressful struggle instead of a time of fellowship. Parents appreciate good eaters. So do pastors.