I’ve learned over the years, that’s a Christian thing to do.
We pray before we eat. I had an older gentleman tell me once that I’d get a
stomach ache or choke on my food if I didn’t pray before a meal. At any social
gathering with church people, if someone were to sneak a potato chip before the
prayer, they’d be scolded. “Hey!! Stop that! We haven’t prayed yet. Are you not
a grateful person?” Guilt-ridden, the kid who just wanted a chip would slink
away feeling horrible about himself.
When I went off to Bible college, this pray-before-you-eat
phenomenon continued. Students would come into the lunch room, get their tray of
cafeteria food (that they’d eventually complain about) and find a seat. Because
we were at a Bible college, people seemed obligated to bow their heads and pray
silently before grabbing onto their sandwich. You certainly didn’t want someone
to notice that you ate your food without a prayer. My buddies and I would mess
with people who prayed for their meal for an extended time. We’d quietly come up
next to them and take their tray of food from under the noses. We thought it
was funny to see someone, who had just thanked God for their food, open their
eyes and see no food in front of them. On our meanest days, we’d never let them
know we took their food. They’d have to go back and get a whole new tray. Yeah,
that’s terrible, I know. Please forgive me. By now I bet you can tell that I’m a bit jaded with this religious tradition of praying before you eat. I guess I’ve come to a cynical conclusion that much of this stuff was more for show or was done out of meaningless habit or tradition. I concluded that praying just before a meal didn’t make someone more grateful, it just made them feel and appear more spiritual or religious. So… I boycotted the whole idea for while and I think I was right to do so. I didn’t want to pray out of thoughtless routine or because of worry of what others thought. But I think my jadedness has cost me over the years as well. My boycott didn’t help me in the area of gratitude. It just caused me to be self-righteous about other people’s self-righteous behavior. It’s ironic how that works.
So, what does God really want in this regard? I think he
wants us to see the simple, common things of life as a measure of his provision
for our lives. I think God wants us to consistently acknowledge ...he made
that ...he gave it ... I get to enjoy it, so, thanks! It could be
salad, a sandwich, a hug, a taste of coffee, a sunset, an air
conditioner, a pay check, a restful night, a smile from a friend. God made it. He
gave it. I get to enjoy it. Thank you!
My small group was talking about these principles last week.
Some folks in our group were coming out of some tough seasons in life that deeply
affected their relationships with God. One person mentioned how close she had
gotten with God during her very difficult journey with cancer. She acknowledged
that the pain and uncertainty of her situation drove her toward intimacy with
God. Her prayers were frequent, honest, and heartfelt. Her times of Bible reading were rich and
powerful. But, now that she is done with treatments and her health is
returning, the intimacy seems to be fading and that concerned her. I love where
our group landed on this matter. We concluded that in times of difficulty, God
uses our pain to show his love and compassion to us. Pain can bring closeness. But
in times of peace, health, and prosperity, contentedness and gratitude should
drive our intimacy with God. We need to recognize and acknowledge God’s loving
provision.
Hey… maybe it would be a good idea to pray a prayer of thanksgiving
before a meal! Just an idea.
…He
has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;
he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. Acts 14.17b
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