Lesson 202. Does It Taste Good to You?

My friends opened a health-food café and decided to show the world dietary reform in practice. The cooks’ imagination came to life; the variety of dishes stirred a healthy appetite, and a kind attitude toward customers, a spirit of respect, and a desire to serve people—all of this filled the air.

But despite all this, the entire business of this café operated at a loss and was built upon constant financial support, bringing in no profit.

I know how difficult it always is to start out and make a name for yourself. And gaining regular customers in the face of enormous competition is not a very simple task. But the purpose of establishing places like this is not to make a profit, but to show people the advantages of healthy eating, teach them to prepare wholesome food, help them understand which foods can be combined, and through this become their friends and reveal the beauty of God’s love in practice.

Not long ago, I shared this joy with someone who knows about cooking, and I voiced my question that I did not understand why, with such an approach, this café was not making a profit. I was told, “Their food simply does not taste good.” I was surprised. This answer made me think and apply it to the spiritual life as well. And I had even more questions for which I sought answers.

Taste is something God created in my body. It is located in my mouth in the form of taste receptors, which respond to food, send impulses to the brain, and create an overall picture of what I am eating. The sense of smell also plays an important role in this. Once I tried smelling an onion while chewing an apple, and it felt as though I were eating an onion. And if a dish looks beautiful, that already prepares my mind in advance to enjoy the meal. If my brain receives aesthetic pleasure through my eyes, while taste and smell convince me that everything is wonderful, and my reason tells me that it is healthy, then I conclude, “It tastes good.”

But the problem is that we are made in such a way that we eat two or three times a day, seven days a week, throughout our entire lives. And what I eat does not always give me pleasure or delight my sense of taste. But I understand that my body needs nutrients that it can receive only through food, and therefore I eat it even when it does not taste good.

But I have also noticed that when I have a choice of what to eat, I always choose what will give me pleasure, taste good, and be healthy for my body. I have also noticed that when I am hungry, many foods that do not taste good become especially exquisite and desirable and have amazing qualities of taste. And what a pleasure it is to eat them on an empty stomach! Where is the logic?

Have you ever walked up to a refrigerator overflowing with food and, after examining its contents, sadly closed the door, grieving that there was nothing to eat? But after nine in the evening, all the unappealing food became so wonderful and so inviting that it was impossible to fall asleep. And how delicious it was to eat at night! And then to wake up with a heavy stomach and a guilty conscience.

But if food can still be figured out somehow, there is also spiritual food that feeds our minds and shapes our thinking. It too can be different—appetizing or unpalatable. And sometimes I notice that what I eagerly listened to or read at first becomes boring and uninteresting over time. Why does this happen? Have you ever become drowsy during a lecture or sermon? You were ashamed of it, but that was exactly how your brain reacted to the information it was receiving. Then someone else begins saying the very same things, and you eagerly catch every word, spend a very long time reconsidering what was said, and draw conclusions. Why such different reactions to the same words? I can give the answer: “It does not taste good to me.”

But taste is a very poor adviser. It changes, although it has its own patterns. If I am given the same tasty food every day, I will soon grow tired of it and begin to desire something else in order to add variety to my diet, although it was not like this at the beginning of my life. I had only one mother, who gave me the same nourishment from herself, yet tenderly held me, pressed me close, caressed me, and spoke words of love. And this need has remained in my consciousness and sometimes reminds me of itself. And it tasted good to me.

When I first came to God, I had no books for self-education, and I eagerly searched for any information and read the Bible with great interest, comprehending the depth of its revelations. Now I notice that at times I have to make myself read something because it is necessary for a spiritual person, while my mind, having allowed this information to pass through it, remains hungry. What happened? I want to eat! But there is nothing. On my shelves are books that once inspired me, but I no longer read them. What happened?

There is a very good definition for this condition—surfeit. We were moving toward it, we desired it, I strove toward it as the meaning of life, and when I attained it, I realized that I had lost something very important. I am not thirsty, although I am hungry and exhausted. I have lost my appetite, although I have not eaten for a long time. Everything has simply become unpalatable to me. And I see that the great problem is not the abundance of everything, but what is in my head. My mind is damaged; the influence of the world has brought destruction into it. And what am I to do? I listen to the rebukes of the Faithful Witness and agree with them, but I cannot change anything. Darkness enters my life. I enter the dark night of the soul and do not know where I will arrive.

Let us read Ezekiel 16:49–50: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.”

Is there a way out of this condition? Yes. God has a very tasty seasoning that gives flavor to everything—agape love, friendship, and happiness. Such small words, yet how they adorn life and bring into it something new, delicious, and desirable. Dry bread and a handful of greens served with love are so delicious that you will lick your fingers. Love is a stream of fresh water flowing into my life and, through me, into the lives of my neighbors. It is the truest meaning of everything; it tastes so good at all times, and it is impossible to become surfeited with it.

Words of love, spoken with love and supported by deeds, can be listened to forever without ever growing tired of them, while desiring even more to hear them. “What happened, my friend? Today you told me that you loved me only eighty-seven times, but yesterday you said it 139 times. Did I do something wrong? What is the reason for your silence?”

The very meaning of Eternal Life is that there will be Eternal Love and eternal relationships in this fellowship. And it will be very good—always good.

And if it will be so wonderful there, then we need to begin creating this beauty here already. When the heart burns with love, life is so interesting. So much is written in the Bible about love, and it is so fascinating. Love does not always lie on the surface; it must be sought, dug for, and, when found, rejoiced over. It is there, and there is much of it. It brings happiness and makes everything taste so good. A person who loves never grows tired of it. It binds me to Jesus, and we love one another. And this is so joyful. And this love teaches me to love you too, my friend, and this tastes so good—at least to me.

Does life taste good to you? Do you need help?

1. Please read 1 Corinthians 16:13–14; Proverbs 15:17; 12:11; Ecclesiastes 5:11; 10:17; Luke 6:25; Matthew 20:6–7; Revelation 3:17; 2 Timothy 1:13; and 1 Corinthians 16:23–24.

2. Did you learn anything useful for yourself from this lesson?

3. What is the danger of spiritual surfeit and idleness?

4. Are you interested in learning the truth and making spiritual discoveries?

5. Do you believe that many fascinating treasures about love are hidden in the Bible? Is it worth searching for them?

6. Does life with you taste good to your friends and loved ones?

7. Do you like the food you are given in our School of Love?

8. Do you have any interesting recipes for satisfying the guests of the School?