It’s no surprise that Alicia Silverstone’s video of pre-chewing her 10 month old’s son’s food, known as pre-mastication, went viral last week. For most of us, the thought of transferring food from our mouth to our child’s, like a mother bird, makes us cringe a bit.
Many of us would never consider trying it. Yet, when it comes to our spiritual walk, we may find it quite tempting.
One indication that we may be practicing pre-mastication is when we find ourselves depending on a pastor’s sermon as our mainstay of spiritual food. After all, he’s done the chewing — praying, studying, preparing — throughout the week. Surely showing up once a week, opening our mouths Bibles and swallowing listening is sufficient.
What if we depended on one meal a week to sustain our physical bodies? We’d survive, but lack strength and endurance to accomplish all God has planned for us.
So how can we avoid spiritual pre-mastication?
- Study the Word for ourselves. Local Christian bookstores offer a plethora of studies. When we spend time going deeper in the Word’s meaning, truth is transferred from the head to the heart, it’s digested, and lives change.
- Consider taking notes on Sunday mornings. Engaging two senses instead of one increases the likelihood of our being able to recall the truths heard — not only that day, but throughout the week and beyond.
- Meditate and memorize the Word. Meditating doesn’t require a sandy beach, loose fitting clothes, or music playing softly in the background. We choose one verse a day. Write it down. Keep it with us throughout the day and re-visit it often, asking the Lord what He would have to teach us through it. When we meditate, we memorize, and when we practice these disciplines, we’re digesting the living and active Word of God into our very being.
Cathy, I'm so glad you touched on this topic today. It can be so easy to let the pastor (or Beth Moore) 🙂 do your spiritual thinking for you, but if you and I don't search out the truth for ourselves in the Bible, we have no leg to stand on as far as our faith is concerned. We won't grow, we won't be challenged, we won't learn. I never thought of it in terms of what Alicia Silverstone was doing, but you're exactly right. Our relationship with God shouldn't be need to be pre-chewed if we've working to spiritually mature our "teeth".
Thanks for sharing, Allison! We'll miss you (and your mom) on Thursday but I know you'll have a great time away. 🙂
Great thought, Cathy! You're so right. God's Word was written for us, to us, and is meant to be our food in this spiritual life. Pastors, teachers, and others can help point the way, but we are responsible for what we eat!
So thankful for the pastors, teachers, and others who point the way. Thanks for stopping by, Vonda. 🙂
This is so vital, and so easy to ignore when we slip into this. It's easy to blame our lack of abilities for not taking responsibility to test everything we hear and spend the time we need sitting at the feet of Jesus.
You're so right, Edie. Too easy, I'm afraid. Thanks for sharing!
This is a masterpiece on a Christian's daily walk with the Lord! Life with Him is richer, deeper, and fuller when we dig into the word for understanding.
Thanks for stopping by, Ron. Life is indeed richer and deeper when we're willing to dig in for ourselves.
Wow. What a great way to visualize how we're not learning from and leaning by studying God's word for ourselves, but depending on others. Where's my Bible? 🙂
Excellent post,Cathy.
God's Word clearly teaches us to study The Word of God and just leaving the studying to someone else and only gleaning from their study leaves us spiritually malnourished. Although, sound teaching is also important and we must apply what we have learned.
Your illustration of a mother bird feeding her young is wonderful! Just like Mama birds, new believers need the "milk of the Word" but they need to grow and as the birdies learn to fly and leave the nest to find their own food, so we must also grow by digging in the Word of God and applying His Word in our lives. Thank you for sharing!
EXCELLENT post, Cathy, and SO TRUE. What a great word. We are connected to The Source and He HIMSELF will pour into us.
Love this!
Thanks so much for sharing Mary, Katherine, and Susan. I always appreciate your insights.