 John 6:35 says, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. A bit of context to this verse—Jesus had just fed 5000 people. Even though he had just fed them the night before, they were hungry again. I don't know if you have ever had to fast before a medical procedure or blood test, it doesn't take very long for your tummy to start growling and the hunger pains to set in. Jesus told the people, Don’t work for food that spoils. Work for food that gives eternal life (John 6:27). In New Testament times there was no canned food or refrigeration. Food had to be eaten fresh or be salted and dried to preserve it. Unlike literal food, Jesus lasts forever.
The bread of life that Jesus was talking about wasn't literal bread. He was referring to Spiritual food. He left his Holy Spirit and his Word, the Bible, for us - this is our spiritual food. Just like you have to eat literal food regularly, you have to eat spiritual food regularly too. This includes, but is not limited to, reading, studying and memorising the Bible, talking to God in prayer, fasting, worshipping, serving etc. How is your spiritual diet going? Are you malnourished? Jesus promises that you will be satisfied if you come to him.
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 Paul talks about the Spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (emphasis is mine)
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. There is a lot of controversy and confusion over the Spiritual Gifts. I don't pretend to have all the answers but we will have a look at them over the next few months. The important take-away from this passage is that God gives us gifts and equips us to help each other. You don't have to know which gifts you have to start serving—just start serving. Do you have any clue about what your gifts are? Stay tuned for more.  The Bible is like a torch. Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take. Have you ever been walking around in the dark and stubbed your toe or tripped over something? It’s hazardous because you can’t see where you’re going. Life can be like that - there are so many things that can trip you up. The Bible is like a torch that helps you navigate a safe way through the hazards.
Galatians 5:19-21 warns us about some of life's hazards. The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual immorality, impurity and wild living, worshiping false gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, having envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like this. There are similar verses in Colossians 3:5-9, Romans 13:13, and Ephesians 5:3. Galatians 5:22-23 shows us the way we should go, But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. You can find similar verses in Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Timothy 6:11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18. Are you using your Bible to help show you the way to go? Click on the link below to download a PDF of the Reflection and Goals prompts.These were inspired by Woodmont Christian Church (https://woodmontchristian.org/2018/12/self-reflection-at-years-end/). 
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