Articles
What Should I Be Thinking About When Taking the Lord's Supper?
If you are like me, sometimes it is a real challenge to keep my mind focused while taking the Lord’s supper
For me, sometimes my mind is focusing on what I’m about to preach on
Or, I’m looking at my children making sure they are behaving the way they should.
And sometimes, being human, my mind wonders thinking about other things.
So, what should I be thinking about?
Think about your covenant (agreement) with God.
Remember that when you became a Christian you promised God you would honor Him by living as a Christian should. The Lord’s Supper is a time that reflects your covenant with God. Jesus made this clear in (Mt. 26:28; I Corinthians 11:25). The Lord’s Supper becomes a great time to examine our lives (I Cor. 11:27-31). Am I keeping my end of the agreement?
Think about the body of the Lord.
No one impacted the world more than Jesus. All that He did, He did with His body. How does He impact the world today? It is still through His body, the church!! We are His hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouths today. As you partake of the bread today which represents His body, you might think about your role in His body. Do you realize that God has given you certain abilities He wants you to use in His body (I Pet. 4:10)? Are you doing your part in the body of Christ?
Think about Jesus as the Bread of Life.
The bread you partake of is symbolic of His body which died to give you life. Jesus is the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35). As you share in that bread today are you sharing Him with others? Are there others you could share Him with? Think about those who are yet thirsty and hungry for an answer to their soul’s deepest longing. Share the Lord.
Think about the blood of the Lord.
As you partake of the fruit of the vine, it might be a good time to ask the Lord to help you to never do anything that would show a lack of appreciation for His spilled blood (Heb.10:29). You might ask Him to help you show Him more each day how much His blood really means to you.
Think about the cup He had to drink (Mt. 26:42).
It was a dreadful cup. It contained mocking, a scourging, spitting, nails, and abandonment. He drank it down to its bitter dregs. The cup you drink of during the supper spared you from all of these things which you deserved. Now, won’t that keep our thoughts focused a while?
Think about the communion you share with Christ and the entire body of Christ.
It is a wonderful thought to realize that on the Lord’s day there is really just one bread being partaken of by the entire body of Christ (1st Cor. 10:17). Take time to think of all the wonderful people you are in communion with in the body of Christ. Some of them have passed on. Some are sitting near you today and are a great blessing to you. Some of them are across continents thanking God for your fellowship with them in the gospel. Some of them you have not met and likely will not meet until the resurrection. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice which brought you into communion with the people of God.
Conclusion
These are just a few thoughts that could fill or minds during the Lord’s Supper. It is my prayer that these few suggestions will help all of our minds to be stayed on Him the next time we commune with Him
