And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Genesis 4:4
In my early 20’s, I was a little obsessed with counting the fat grams in my food. I look back at those photos of myself and this mom of four body cannot imagine how skinny I used to be. Many people break their New Year’s fitness resolutions within the first two weeks of the year. So now, I recommend being focused on the FAT in life because leanness can become meaningless.
There is a popular NETFLIX docu-series narrated by Samin Nosrat, an Iranian-American chef and food writer that is based on her cookbook – Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. She declares these 4 basic elements are what makes food so delicious. I agree.
The word Fat in Hebrew is heleb and denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel’s sacrifice (Genesis 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production. Just as Abel did in his sacrifice, I want to give God my best.
There is a popular acronym in Christianity called FAT (Faithful, Available, and Teachable.) Focusing on the FAT in my life means making faithful sacrifices, being available, and being teachable. Faith is the foundation of Christianity. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Faith, hope and love are the strongest elements in the walk of a Christian (1 Cor. 13:13). To be faithful, I must focus on the unseen and trust the path before me set in place by God. I shouldn’t lean on my own understanding – that is where the ‘leanness’ in my life occurs.
In the busyness of life, being available to the right things is one of my biggest challenges. Taking the time to say “yes” to the things that are most important and letting go of the non-essentials – aligning my priorities with the things that God truly wants me to focus on today, and being intentional with my loved ones and people God places in my path. Just today, I met an elderly lady at the gym who was of a different ethnicity and faith. We had a meaningful spiritual conversation that I hope continues.
In my daily life, I feel being teachable is almost next to godliness. All throughout the Bible, God is asking for His people to have ears to hear. I need to listen for God’s voice and respond to it. If not, I will be like a sheep without a shepherd. Or a clanging cymbal without rhythm – trying to march to my own beat.
Jesus set the stage and the example of a life that was full of FAT. Likewise, the call for Christians is to live a life of faith, availability and teach-ability. In this coming year, one of my major goals is to focus on more FAT in my life and let the leanness become meaningless.
Focus on FAT
Faithful. Available. Teachable.
Where can I add more FAT in my spiritual diet?