1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For all of the cooking shows I watch each week, I ought to be Julia Child's twin! I’ve learned a lot of useful… and some not-so-helpful… information from these shows. (I don’t think I will be cooking fish heads for a rich broth any time soon!) I’ve discovered how to turn ordinary ingredients in my pantry into amazingly tasty and creative dishes… to “make something from nothing,” as it were. I’ve learned about flavors… how delicious food not only looks good but is filled with taste and aroma from the right blends of spices, stocks and sauces. I now know several tips, tricks and techniques that could not only help me be a better cook… but also a more efficient and confident one.
The thing is… I still gravitate toward the same handful of dishes I’ve brought to our table for nearly 40 years. I would rather grab a pizza from the freezer and give it less than 20 minutes in a hot oven… or open a can of chicken noodle soup and serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich than spend an hour creating something from scratch. And let’s not forget take-out! In other words…I have acquired all of this knowledge and ability… I know how to make the food “sing.” But on most days, I’m complacent and lazy in the kitchen!
Over and over on these shows, the judges and experts refer to the depth of flavor that chefs are able to create within their dishes. They talk a lot about how various ingredients are “infused” into the food by cooking in a rich stock… marinating in sauces, oils and rubs… and blending ingredients in a way that produces something marvelous, sometimes unexpected, and chock full of flavor! Still, many of us have become quite comfortable substituting a plateful of “fast and easy” for a beautiful portion of savory deliciousness!
Are we like this in our Spiritual life? Do you see that God has cleared the road for us… then poured out his love on each of us and everyone in our circle? Do you get that He offers to infuse us with His strength, purity and confidence… and to “pretty us up” to others – to make us appealing and delightful like a beautiful plate of food? The question is… are we “cooking creatively” with all of the ingredients God has given us? Or are we lazy and complacent… content to get by with a quick fix or the least effort that will get the job done and satisfy appetites?
Let’s be honest… a frozen pizza or take-out from our favorite restaurant will often fill our bellies quite heartily. And it may even taste pretty good in the bargain. But these “quick fixes” can’t hold a candle to a well-prepared and served gourmet meal that gratifies all of our senses and leaves us feeling loved and sated through and through. And it’s the same in our relationship with God. We may be able get by on minimal effort… and a few of us will skirt through life relatively unscathed. But this is not really a “gourmet life” in Christ.
I don’t know about you, but I want the “full course meal!” I want all that God stands ready to splash over me and every “flavor” He desires to infuse into my soul. I want to take all of the mismatched items in the “pantry” of my life and allow God to show me how to transform them into an incredible “dish!” I want to be a vehicle of the incredible “meal” God delights in serving to others… to be a reflection of the love, strength, purity, confidence, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion He offers to each of us. Now this sounds like a flavorful plate of “soul food!”
What have you done with God’s ingredients? Is your “dish” pleasing to Him, or could you use a little polish and finesse? God will help you become a better “cook.” If you will only ask, He will show you how to tweak your “recipes” for a life in Christ and come up with something delectable and incredible. It’s time to stretch beyond a life of frozen pizza and take-out discipleship. What are you serving today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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