I have younger and older children. They range from a year and a half to 23 years old. So I have a little experience feeding children. When they are babies to a few years old you have to physically feed them. I’m not talking about just providing their food, but actually feeding them. From the milk stage to introducing solid food. You have to start with softer foods that they can’t choke on and move up from there. There comes a point though that they have to learn to feed themselves. You don’t sit your grown children at the table and spoon feed them. There have been times even that my 5 year old would say, “Can you feed me?” To which I would reply, “No boy, you can feed yourself.” Eventually children grow up and get jobs and can buy their own food. They don’t call you over to feed them. They don’t not eat until you’re available. No, they feed themselves.
This can apply to our spiritual lives as well. Much has been said about 1 Corinthians 3:2 (ISV) I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you weren’t ready for it. And you’re still not ready! There should be talk about this. We do have to grow to the point that we are not still on the milk of the Word of God. We have to reach the point that we don’t choke on the “meat” of the Word. This though is not where I am headed.
We must reach the point that we are actually feeding ourselves. We are reading the Word for ourselves. We are studying the Word. We aren’t just waiting for Sunday and Wednesday to roll around to be fed at church. Though we should be being fed at church. We must be feeding our souls every day. You wouldn’t only eat physically 2 or 3 times a week. Then why would you do that spiritually? We should not do this for Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 KJV).
If this is your habit you will become spiritually malnourished. You will feed your spirit something. If you don’t feed it the good things from the Word of God, then you will feed it something that it doesn’t need. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:8 KJV).
As children of God we do need to attend church and be fed from preaching and teaching of the Word. It is also our personal responsibility to feed ourselves too. We cannot solely rely on a few spiritual meals a week. We must get in the Word and feed our spirits from it.
Jeremiah 15:16 KJV Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.