How Eating Your Lunch Affects Your Ministry

I made the mistake of eating chili for lunch yesterday.  Fortunately, nothing traumatic happened, but let’s just say my stomach has had better days.  While chili isn’t the best thing to eat on a busy day, it’s definitely not the worst thing when it comes to eating lunch.
I know, it sounds odd to talk about lunch on a youth ministry blog; however, it’s something that has a large impact on our productivity at work.  Lunch brings us energy and opens up our day; it’s a time to step away.  While we can disagree on the best place to eat for lunch you can’t argue these three mistakes that make our lunch a wasted opportunity:

• We Eat And Work:  Salary or not, your company has allotted time for you to eat lunch; however, with the convenience of computers and cell phones it’s hard to disconnect.  When you work while you eat you miss out on the great meal in front of you.  When you eat while you work you are just adding another distraction to your day.
• Our Meals Are Unhealthy: When lunch isn’t a priority to your day you really don’t think about what you consume.  But, what and how much you eat will affect your energy level.  Fastfood on a regular basis will make you lethargic.  If you don’t eat enough it’ll make you cranky.  With the correct balance of proteins, carbs, fats and sugars you will have energy to last through the day.
• We Rush It:  You might eat work away from your desk; but, do you give yourself the time to consume it properly?  I’m a fast eater and I know for me it’s a struggle to take advantage of the full 30 minutes (or for some hour).  I’m hungry and I consume.  When you slow down to enjoy the meal, not only are you eating healthy, but you are giving yourself the much needed timeout for your day.  Besides, when you eat quickly your body forgets what it just consumed.

I know lunch doesn’t sound like the largest issue when it comes to bring teens to Christ; however, I believe if neglected we can hurt the effectiveness of our ministry.  Lunch isn’t just a time to refuel physically, it’s a time to take a break and reconnect with ourselves and God.  So while I hope you read this post, I’m hoping it’s not during your lunch break.  Turn off the screen, walk away from your desk and eat freely.

What are you eating for lunch?