[Difference Makers] Diverse Dining Sample

Difference Makers Go Deep With God

John’s disciples came to Jesus, asking why He and His disciples did not fast. Jesus used the imagery of a wedding to answer them. The Groom was Jesus and the Bride was the Church. While the Groom and His disciples and followers were together, they would feast together.

The disciples rejoiced while Jesus was with them. Then, the ascension came and Jesus was taken from them (Acts 2). Then they fasted. Jesus is not with us physically; He is in our hearts. So now, the Church fasts. For the period Jesus is gone, whatever it is, we long for Him. 

For the Pharisees, fasting was a badge. It said, “Look at me. Look how spiritual I am. See how I pray and fast. Look at my downcast face.” But Jesus taught that when you fast, you should wash your face, look like you have taken a bath, and look happy. Fasting is a discipline to help you attain spiritual depth. It is a cry, not a badge. It is a prayer: “Let the ache in my belly be my ache for You, Jesus. I want to ache for You.”

Don’t be like the Pharisees. They had long faces so that people would ask them what was wrong and they could say, “I'm fasting for God.” A Pharisee is like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. A Pharisee will mope because he cannot wait for you to ask what is wrong. He wants to suck the life out of you, because misery loves company.

Don’t fake it. Be honest about your emotions. But we Christians sometimes act like Eeyore or like the Pharisees. The greatest testimony to Christ is Christians; the greatest hindrance to Christ is Christians. When we walk around with our spirituality as some kind of badge, it is because we do not have spiritual depth in our lives. We are wearing our spirituality on our sleeves because we do not have it deep in our hearts. We are wearing it on our sleeves because we haven't been on our knees, in Bible study, in worship, at church.  

Difference makers go deep with God. To have a wide ministry of dining in diversity while speaking with great clarity, you need to go deep with God. 

Pray: Lord, I long for You. Deepen my walk with You.