"Everyday Gospel" - The Most Important Meal of the Day

In school, there is hardly anything more dramatic and grave as a standardized test. Acronyms such as ITBS, TCAP, ACT, SAT, GRE haunt the minds of awaiting students of all ages across the country. When the fateful day arrives and the teacher begins the litany of instructions that must be followed, the tension is such that it is easy for a student to think that he might be assassinated in the event that he fills in the wrong bubble or breaks the last remaining No. 2 pencil. Standardized tests are serious business.

In order to help students prepare and to be in the best position to succeed on these standardized tests, teachers give plenty of advice and tips. Students need plenty of rest. They need to have the right amount of the right kind of pencils easily available. Read every possible answer before selecting the best one. Depending on the test, do not skip any questions at all or skip any that you do not know. But regardless of the test, students need to have a well-balanced breakfast before taking the test. Before you even bubble in your name or any other information, you better not forget that oatmeal or french toast! Remember, standardized tests are serious business, and your life depends on it!

And believe me, when I was a student, I listened. I never eat breakfast. I'd rather sleep the extra 15 minutes. But on the day of a standardized test, I would eat my pancakes because I knew if I didn't I would be assassinated or maybe even end up homeless and on drugs.

This habit has carried on through graduate school. Sleep through breakfast on a normal day, but cram Raisin Bran or Honey Nut Cheerios right before a major exam.

The obvious question I should ask myself: "If eating breakfast before a major test is so important, why is it not just as crucial to be mentally and physically prepared for every other day of my life?"

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As satisfying as a perfect breakfast is, and as important as it is to eat a balanced meal to start our day, physical food is not the only thing we need to be sustained through the day. Along with our bodies' cravings for physical food, our hearts and souls long to be filled each day. We are spiritually famished.

Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament writers compared the need for the Word of God to the daily need for food. Just as we wake up needing a meal to not only satisfy us but to also prepare us and sustain us for each day, we need a daily intake of Scripture.

Eating a nice breakfast is wonderful, but it will not be sufficient for very long. We need a consistent supply of food to meet our needs. You can eat a breakfast at the biggest and best buffet in the world, but within a few hours, you are going to be making lunch plans. Likewise we need a constant source of spiritual nutrition and satisfaction. Just as we eat morning, noon, and night, we can find satisfaction and sustaining power through continual meditation on God's word. "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise," (Ps 119:147-148).

For some of us, eating breakfast may not be a normal part of our everyday schedule. We don't have time.  We'd rather sleep. But when we discipline ourselves and sit down to a bowl of cereal in the morning, we are more prepared for the day. In the same manner, many of us are in such a hurry in the morning that we give little thought to spending a few minutes reading the Bible. But if we make it a point to start the day with a moment of reflection and meditation on Scripture, we will see "How sweet are [His] words to [our] taste, sweeter than honey to [our] mouth[s]!" (Ps 119:103). God's Word will satisfy our deepest longings and help us think rightly as we begin our day.

It is easy to take a few minutes to read the Bible during a crisis. When we have a monumental decision to make or anxiously awaiting important news, we are much more prone to seek for wisdom or guidance from God's Word. We often treat Scripture like I handle breakfast. On a normal day, we can make it on our own. But when we know we are facing a serious test, we will do everything we can to prepare. Much like my haphazard eating habits in the morning, an inconsistent intake of Scripture in the morning begs the question: "If this is so important for my preparation and ultimate well-being, why is this not a part of my preparation for everyday life?"

I do not take a standardized test everyday, but I still need to eat breakfast every morning. I also do not have to make a life-altering decision everyday, but I still need to absorb God's message everyday.

When you sit down at the kitchen table and pour some milk to go with those sausage biscuits with gravy and prepare for another monotonous day of work or school, you may not know it, but you are preaching. Each morning we arise in need of nourishment to be prepared for and sustained throughout the day. And when we start our days off with a granola bar or the "Breakfast of Champions", we point to the simple truth that we daily need to be spiritually nourished and satisfied through the reading of the inspired Word of God.

"Give us this day our daily bread..."  Amen.