F.A.T. Christians
By: Dr. Mike Jones
Don’t become offended: I’m not talking about the physically condition of many Americans. But, since YOU looked at ME kinda funny, I’ll share with YOU, what the statistics say:
- 69% of adults are overweight.
- 32% of children and adolescents are overweight.
- 30% of low-income preschoolers are overweight.
The F.A.T. Christian that I’m talking about is the Spiritual growth that God wishes for ALL His children: Faithful, Available, Teachable.
Proverbs 28:25, “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.”
Translated: Fat – means the person shall live happily and comfortably.
Psalm 92:13-14, “Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Planted — Whom God by his gracious providence has fixed there.
The house — In its courts; he means in the church of God, whereof all good men are living members.
Verse 14, “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;”
Old age — Their last days shall be their best days, wherein they shall grow in grace, and increase in blessedness.
Let’s discover the riches of being a F.A.T. Christian, until Jesus returns
The letter “F” stands for FAITHFUL:
WE all know that God is faithful. The word faithful conveys the idea of being trustworthy or reliable. The Hebrew writer in 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”
The letter “A” stands for AVAILABLE:
It’s time out for all the excuses that we use when it comes to the cost of denying ourselves to follow Christ. One of the greatest examples is found in the Gospel of Luke 9:57-62, “ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Then He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” [Explain the intent of these men heart: His father wasn’t dead yet – future tense.]
The letter “T” stands for Teachable:
In Proverbs 8:32-36, God admonishes His Children to be teachable and to listen to Him: He said, “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds Me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.
Three times in the passage, God COMMANDS us to listen to Him! Biblical writes want us to know that what God was emphasizing was that many of us have a serious problem with listening. If we are not listening, we are not learning—and as Hosea 4 and recorded in Leviticus 26, this will lead to our destruction. [There is such thing as a Cowboy’s Code of Conduct: One of its major points of wisdom says this, “Never miss an opportunity to stop talking!”
CONCLUSION: If we find ourselves sagging in our desire to learn, as evidenced by not listening, not studying, praying, and meditating daily, then we must pray fervently for God to give us a greater desire to obey Him, learn from Him, and have the proper fear of Him. Psalms 25:12, “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way.
(Adapted from God is Looking for F.A.T. Christians; all Scripture references are taken from the KJV unless otherwise noted.)