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What should I do if I'm not
getting fed in my church?

If you attend a church that is not centered upon Christ, which doesn't proclaim or teach God's Word, it would be obvious why you're not receiving spiritual nourishment. In such a case, it would be a good idea to find a church that does. By all means get into a church that boldly proclaims the truths of the Bible.

However, if God's Word is being preached in your church, but you come to feel that you're not getting fed, it may mean that you're not using your own "knife and fork." Many are simply lazy and don't take responsibility to dig into God's Word and chew for themselves. They expect someone to grind up the meat and stick it in their mouth — like a helpless little baby.

Remember that "You can't suck meat from a baby bottle." That is, when you grow to a place where you need stronger meat, it's not going to come in the same fashion you used to get your milk. When a baby is fed, everything is done for him. He's held up to the bottle and all he has to do is suck. He's spoon-fed with baby food, already ground up and strained. He doesn't even have to chew. Feeding an adult is far different. The cooked meat is served on a plate with a knife and fork. The adult has to take responsibility to cut his own meat. He has his own teeth with which to chew.

Another reason for feeling unfed is that you may not be serving or ministering. Spiritual meat is not intended to be stored in a reservoir, but to be used as fuel to propel works of service. This corresponds with how Jesus described his food which sustained Him spiritually. He said that He received His nourishment from performing works of ministry. "But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know... My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:32,34).

There comes a time in a Christian's life that he or she must begin to minister to others and put God's Word into action, otherwise they will grow stagnant and be unable to sustain nourishment. The meat that many need is to get busy and start serving, start sharing Christ, and give the Word of God to others. Receiving the meat of God's Word nourishes us in one way — becoming a channel through which God's Word flows, nourishes us in another.