At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes Me.”
—Matthew 18:1-5
o understand Spiritual Indigestion, you must first read Spiritual Congestion. Please take a look at the sweet, innocent face of our dog, Javorski. He gently loves on his babies (stuffed animals) while he sleeps. I know there is a sweet tender feeling welling up inside as you look at this precious, calm, and submissive member of our family, right? Wrong!
One night our family decided to play a card game. It required five dollars per person for an entry fee. Luke, the dealer, put the money on the floor. When the game ended, Carly was the big winner. Luke reached down to retrieve her winnings, but the twenty-dollar bill was gone. We searched everywhere—on the floor, in and under the furniture, all over the room. Puzzled, we retraced our steps. All the while, Javorski casually lounged beneath the table. The mystery continued until Jake exclaimed, "I think Javorski ate the money!"
Words spewed out like “No way. That’s crazy. Javorski wouldn't eat a twenty-dollar bill!”
Then Jake pulled out another bill from his wallet and gently tossed it in Javorski's direction. All of a sudden, like a bass striking the bait, Javorski had the money in his mouth. Now more words echoed loudly through the house. "You have to be kidding me. Javorski ate the twenty-dollar bill! He’s going to have a digestive problem."
Yes, our devoted canine ingested Carly's winnings and now lay under the table loving on his stuffed animal. Carly demanded the boys follow Javorski to his spot in the woods and wait until… well, you can probably guess the rest of her suggestion!
Like Javorski, our selfish desires sometimes steal the glory from others, as well as God. When we serve Jesus, or He uses us as His vessels, we need to remember to give credit where credit is due—to God! If not, we might experience spiritual indigestion. Confessing sin relieves us of this uncomfortable condition. Obeying God’s Word prevents this from happening in the first place. Loving others more than our own selves replaces selfishness with selflessness, freeing us from the condition of spiritual indigestion.
PRAYER CHALLENGE
Right now, think of an area where you need to give God the glory. For example, do your children make good life decisions that reflect godly living? Instead of praising God for what He is doing in their lives, perhaps you take credit because of how you raised them. This is spiritual indigestion and it will affect your whole life. Giving God the glory frees you from a self-focused life. Begin practicing this truth. See how Matthew 18:1-5 warns us to come to Jesus as little children. It’s all about Him, not about us!
