I’m hungry.  Real hungry.  The I’ve-not-eaten-in-hours-and-it-feels-like-days kind of hungry.  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve truly been hungry.  Now I’ve whined about being hungry because the MEGA meal I ate five hours earlier has worn off and I no longer feel like tick after a long day on a hound dog (what a gross analogy, but it’s just so appropriate I’ll let it stay).

I’m changing my eating habits and focusing on more healthy items and less of the filler and fluff I’m used to eating.  Think cinnamon rolls – they are a great combination of filler (bread) and fluff (sugar). I’m noticing that this hunger is different – it’s more of a hunger for the good stuff.  Now, please don’t think that cinnamon roll is not CALLING my name – LOUDLY!  It is, but I can also hear the veggies and the fruits calling too.

As I’m processing this, it makes me realize that I’ve allowed the Filler and the Fluff of the world to dilute my hunger for God.  I’ve filled up my Jesus time with Filler & Fluff.

Some of it looks good and some of it may even be good, but if it’s still Filler and Fluff.

Jesus is very clear about what He wants for me — Abundant Life (John 10:10)

My life has been so full of Filler & Fluff that I didn’t even realize I was hungry for more Jesus.

I’ve fed  this hunger for Jesus with  stuff that keeps me busy– good stuff.  Relational stuff.  God related stuff.  It is good, but it’s not satisfying my hunger for Jesus.  It’s a short term fix.

It’s like eating the chocolate bar when my body is craving nutrition – the candy is wonderful and I love it, but it isn’t what my body needs.

In John 10:10 when Jesus speaks on abundant life, He also serves us  a warning —

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)

The thief is serving up Filler & Fluff on a pretty platter.  It’s tempting.  It looks good. But it’s NOT abundant life.

I’m stripping away the Filler and the Fluff.  I’m getting hungry again – a real hunger for the Jesus who wants to give me ABUNDANT life,  not filler and fluff.