As a southern Baptist pastor, I try to attend the annual convention every year. It is important to be present and I can see pastoral friends that I never see, except in this annual event. In addition, the Southern Baptist Convention (CBS) always includes sometimes fun unpredictability. For those who don’t know, the convention attracts between 5,000 and 7,000 pastors and CBS church members across the country. There is a moment at the convention that offers time for an “open microphone”. words, anyone can get up, take the microphone and make a proposal or solve a problem. As you can imagine, curious, sad and controversial words have been spoken throughout the history of this denominational meeting.
A conversation? It stands out to me, did it happen in a year that the older generation, who historically regarded alcohol as a sin and destructive in all respects, defended his position against a younger generation that did not have the same convictions. The younger generation saw alcohol consumption as a gift from God, if it was done with responsibility and moderation, citing that there was no biblical commandment against alcohol, but against drunkenness. The conversation became intense and passionate when one side spoke and then the other. The dialogue seemed to be about to get out of hand, until a 30-year-old pastor approached the microphone and said:
- No one in this room understands the devastating effects of alcohol like me.
- I was raised by my father.
- Single father.
- Alcoholic.
- I had to take care of my father when I was a kid and watch him drink to death when I was fourteen.
- I’d like to ban alcohol.
- But the Bible won’t let me.
- I don’t want to scream where the Bible shuts up.
So he went valiantly where no Southern Baptist had dared to go
This conversation saddens me. When I look around, it seems that excessive alcohol consumption is not our biggest problem, but slavery and excessive food consumption.
And with these piercing words, the elephant in the hall of the world’s largest Protestant denomination was escorted to the center of the stage. There is a big obesity problem in CBS, especially with pastors at the convention. In the eyes of some, being extremely overweight is captivating in a shepherd, because it is a sign that he is loved and well fed, because being fat in certain cultures is also a sign of wealth, however, this is a major problem and expresses not only the eating habits of pastors. , but the state of their souls. This article will examine the pastor’s eating habits and how these habits can affect his own soul.
Here’s a big generalization to highlight one aspect: there are essentially two types of people in this world and the way they handle stress: the ones they eat when they’re stressed and those who don’t eat when they’re stressed. The purpose for which we use it can be a very enlightening view of the state of our souls. That’s the way it is for me. I come from a long list of people looking to eat when they’re stressed. Those who eat when stressed cross the food line for pleasure and nutrients for the body, and slide into this dangerous place to allow food to be a means of comfort. I am convinced that this is the main reason for the great problem of obesity in the United States. Due to the intense level of stress that pastors constantly face, I am also convinced that is why many pastors are overweight and sick.
Nor do we ignore the other side of this issue: those who avoid food to cope with stress. This demonstration of the soul is more hidden because it is not evident as a shepherd with overweight and work who is probably enslaved by food. a pastor to face the difficulties of ministry in a way that is not healthy for his body and to despise the request for help in his soul.
How does a shepherd come to perceive not only his eating habits, but also how food exposes what is happening in his soul?Here are four ways to think about this.
First, it grows in consciousness. Self-awareness is the most important tool to develop, not knowing what the real problem is we can’t deal with it. First, be aware of your family history and how you learned to see and consume food. Was food a reward?That’s why each of us should be aware of how we use food now. It was a profound truth for me when I realized that food was a way to comfort me in situations of stress and anxiety. Until this consciousness comes from God, I would just eat too much and not know why. It also gave me a useful perspective across the spectrum when caring for women in my church who were struggling with eating disorders. The first step is to conclude that the way we view and consume food can reveal a lot about our souls.
Second, consider your weight. I once heard Pastor Al Martin address a group of shepherds, and he shared this simple but important truth for the shepherds: “What you eat and don’t burn the same day, goes here, there and there (referring to parts of your body). ?. My weight has become a very useful indicator of my performance in my fight against comfort in food. When my weight increases, it can mean several things. But it almost always shows that I’m more stressed and that as more so accordingly. Weight management becomes an indicator not only of the level of stress, but also of how I manage it, for the shepherd who has an overweight of 20 to 40 kg, this can expose an even greater turbulence in the soul that cannot be ignored.
However, weight doesn’t tell the whole story. I once spoke to a pastor who had trouble eating a lot and yet he was very thin. He lamented how difficult it was to try to eat more and still listened often: “You’re too thin. Do you need to eat more?” there are those who are overweight by a thyroid problem or metabolism, not because they eat too much for stress. Despite these exceptions, our weight can tell us a lot about our souls. Stay tuned.
Third, worry about your personal testimony. Keeping weight down and staying in shape becomes more difficult as we age. I’m not suggesting that a person who has a little extra weight and doesn’t exercise as often as they want risks damaging their testimony of the gospel. Nor am I saying that we should somehow seek an attractive stereotype for our message to be heard. We are all broken vessels used in the hands of the Master. However, any Christian who appears to be totally enslaved to any kind of substance, be it drugs, goods or food, runs the risk of damaging his testimony of the freedom we have in the gospel. It was the elephant that was displayed in the convention hall that year. The gospel provides, in Christ, freedom from sin and the world, and the power of this message can confuse the listener when proclaimed by a man who weighs more than 50 kg and is out of breath while walking. to the pulpit to preach. Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit that must be born in our lives to confirm our testimony. The apostle Peter calls all shepherds to be examples to the flock (1P 5. 3). Pay attention to your personal testimony.
Finally, find your comfort in Jesús. Es something powerful to realize the impact that food has on the soul and that we use food as a means of comfort in this fallen world. But the solution is not just a conscience. Our souls are nourished and cared for when we realize that our comfort in the stress and difficulties of our ministries is not in food, but in Jesus. We must confess our search or rejection of food before Jesus, who can come to bring the only permanent comfort in the midst of the sufferings of this world. What resonates with the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us as disciples of Jesus is that Jesus satisfies us in a way that the best food cannot satisfy.
Pastors, be honest about the place of food in your lives. Thirty years passed before I was honest about it. It’ll always be a battle for me. I assure you that the soul will continue to fade into the pain and sadness that exists, and that food tries to hide them, remember: God’s grace will find you in this place of openness and honesty and give you the strength to walk in it. your own dominance and overcome the traps that food brings. This will create a space in your soul that will bring the relief and peace you are really looking for.
By: Brian Croft, © Practical Shepherd. Website: Practicalshepherding. com. Translated with permission. Source: How does food expose activity in a shepherd’s soul?
Original: How does food reveal what happens in a shepherd’s soul?© Return to the Gospel. Website: voltemosaoevangelho. com All Rights Reserved Translation: Camila Rebeca Almeida Review: William Teixeira