O Christ, he is the fountain

The deep spring well of love

No streams on earth I’ve tasted

More deep I’ll drink above

-Rutherford

Christmas in America has become little more than a month of feeding idolatry—materialism, appearance, family, food. The very season set aside to feast on Christ has been replaced by the smorgasbord of the world. As a result, Christmas can leave us feeling empty and sick from stuffing ourselves with the world.

But what if, this Christmas, we determined to starve our idols in order to feast on Christ? Over the last week, the Lord has been opening my eyes to daily opportunities to choose to feast on Christ over idols. When my sinful nature wants credit for myself at work and I choose to bite my tongue and not defend myself if my boss corrects me, I’m starving that idol of self-praise. If I’m looking to friends to satisfy me and I choose to spend time at a gathering ministering to someone in need instead of talking to them, I’ve starving that idol of self-oriented friendships. The immediate result is that I often feel down, because I had placed my hope in something in this world that I didn’t get to partake of. The idols of this world are addicting, sending us on a rollercoaster of desires because they never satisfy for long.[1]

The problem is, if I continue to feed these idols (some of which may not be sinful in and of themselves), I miss out on the chance to feast on Christ. If I’m already stuffed with the junk food of this world, I will never experience the fullness of Jesus’ ability to fill my heart. So instead of turning to another worldly desire to satisfy if I’m feeling disappointed, I’m learning to run to Christ.

If I find myself disappointed by something I was putting my hope in, there is no better opportunity to feast on Jesus, for my heart is not already full of the world. It’s an opportunity to run to the Word and let it wash over me, asking Jesus to meet me anew. It’s an opportunity to start singing about Christ. It’s an opportunity to run to Him in prayer, asking Him to satisfy me.

Whatever inevitable disappointments come your way this Christmas, run to Jesus and feast on all He is. He is fully sufficient for all we need, yet so often we never experience his fullness because we’re caught up in the hope of this world. He promises, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn. 6:35).

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[1] Paul Miller’s book J-Curve helped me better understand this pattern of saying no to an idol and then using the disappointment as a catalyst to run to Christ.