Evie Polsley is a foodie wannabe. Though you won’t see her at many five-star restaurants (who can afford that?), she is known to visit specific towns just to try out Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives recommendations. But more important than her appetite to explore new types of food is her increasing appetite to grow in her understanding of Scripture. There is nothing like sitting down and enjoying a rich meal from God’s Word. It’s a grace welcome to Evie to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Evie Polsley

My husband and I discovered an amazing, authentic, extremely small Mexican restaurant near our first home. It was one of our favorite places to eat, and though we now live fairly far away, we still eat there every chance we get.

We were both raised on Americanized Mexican food, so when we were exposed to the real thing, there was no going back.

Though small, this place has a vast menu, and we were able to experience all kinds of new flavors, textures, and food combinations we would never have thought possible. In our attempt to share this amazing experience with our then four-year-old daughter, we took her often. It was a favorite of hers as well, but every time we walked into the restaurant, she would order chicken nuggets and french fries.

I have to give it to her—even the chicken nuggets and french fries were delicious.

But she was missing out on so much.

There was a wealth of flavors she could be experiencing, but without fail she chose chicken nuggets. It didn’t matter the cartwheels we performed to get her to branch out of her culinary safety zone; the child wouldn’t stray from her consistent order.

There was a great big flavorful world to explore, and she remained steadfast—chicken nuggets.

There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews 5:11-14, NLT)

Here was an incredible, full buffet of growth, learning, and maturing. But they were missing out on it because they were unwilling to go beyond their chicken-nugget faith.

I wonder: Does our frustration at our daughter’s lack of culinary growth give us a small understanding of the concern the writer of Hebrews had for the letter’s recipients?

I have been reading through the book of Hebrews, and when I got to chapter five, I was struck by the sudden pivot starting in verse 11.

In the middle of an amazing meditation on Jesus as High Priest, the author stops—without warning or even a transition—and suddenly starts addressing the spiritual dullness of the readers. It’s as if the author is so overwhelmed by all that the readers are missing, he or she just can’t take it anymore.

Here was an incredible, full buffet of growth, learning, and maturing. But they were missing out on it because they were unwilling to go beyond their chicken-nugget faith.

What is even more shocking is that these believers weren’t new to the faith.

Instead, they were stuck in a spiritual mud pit. When they should have been moving forward in their faith—encouraging and teaching others, becoming spiritual leaders—they were slogging through the basics.

They had plenty of opportunity and teaching, but they were so stunted that they couldn’t even distinguish between right and wrong, a defining characteristic of spiritual maturity.

What about me? Am I experiencing all the flavors of Christ?

But as I commiserated with the author’s frustration, the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks:
What about me? Am I experiencing all the flavors of Christ?

Am I stepping out in faith? Am I going deeper, exploring my faith, encouraging others?

Or am I limiting myself to chicken nuggets and french fries?

Though it’s been a while since I was a student, I have never lost that yearning to learn and grow.

Recently, I have been using the Student Life Application Study Bible, the same Bible my then four-year-old daughter—now in high school—is using. In this Bible, a chart placed near Hebrews 5 has helped me evaluate whether I am making mature Christian choices.

Even if we have been following Jesus for most of our lives and feel an earnest desire to follow him, it’s important to evaluate our spiritual maturity.

Here are a few questions I am chewing on:

Am I teaching others, or am I only being taught?
Am I developing depth of understanding, or am I getting stuck on the basics?
Am I seeking unity, or am I stirring up disunity?
Am I seeking spiritual challenges, or just entertainment?
Am I careful with my study and observations, or am I leaning on unfounded opinions and using halfhearted efforts?
Do I evaluate my experiences in light of God’s Word, or in light of my own feelings?

To be honest, there are times when my answers to these questions are discouraging. More often than I’d like to admit, I am more adventurous in my food choices than in my faith steps. My taste palate is more mature than my spiritual palate.

Even if we have been following Jesus for most of our lives and feel an earnest desire to follow him, it’s important to evaluate our spiritual maturity. Have I lost that first love? Do I have an unsatiable appetite to know and live for Christ? Am I willing to give up my chicken-nugget faith for a chance to taste and see how good the Lord really is?

Leave the chicken nuggets behind. Let’s start feasting!

[ Our humble thanks to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional. ]