What an appetite!

I grew up as one of the kids who didn't care much for food. Food was simply one of those things that I had to take in because everyone was eating, and also because my parents had noticed I barely cared, putting me on their radar to ensure I finished my meals.

My brothers, on the other hand, ate like they had their appetite, my appetite, and a little extra from the angel that helped in their creation. My younger brother grew to be the chubby baby that became a burden when carried for more than a minute. I remember my aunt, who cared for us, scolding my elder brother for having a “longer throat”, a crime I could never be accused of as I didn't care too much for food. I simply didn't have much of an appetite, and when I wanted to eat, I was very selective.

This all changed in JSS 2 when my cousin came to finish his secondary school from my house. He was fun, charismatic, and loved both at home and in school. We attended the same secondary school, and I was always proud to be identified as his brother. When it came to appetite, he had a large one. He preferred to eat heavy meals like eba in the morning as opposed to bread, which we believed to be a more suitable breakfast. Not long after he started living with us, his love for heavy meals and large portions slowly became something I desired as well. And although I preferred my bread in the morning, you might catch me joining in eating from his bowl of Eba before going to school. His love for food was infectious, and it transformed my appetite. To this day, I have become very adventurous with food and do not mind eating heavily in the morning.

I believe the same applies to having an appetite for spiritual things like prayer, attending church meetings, studying the Bible, and evangelism. Appetite is often cultivated intentionally through exposure to the right messages, environments, and people. The reason why many of us struggle to pray and practice other spiritual disciplines is that we have removed ourselves from environments that help fuel the appetite for these spiritual disciplines.

Make friends with people who love and enjoy praying. Take advantage of times when fasting is declared in church to practice the discipline of fasting, and don't make excuses. Sit with people who take notes during sermons and be inspired by those who dance with all their hearts during worship sessions. Your appetite for spiritual things can increase if you care enough to fill your ears with the right words and find a community of people with the right appetite.

The writer of Hebrews expresses this beautifully in the 10th chapter by saying, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.“