September 13 ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My late cousin Carla Lou came from Ohio for a visit one year near the end of November. As I decorated our house for Christmas, she sat on the couch and read recipes aloud to me from some of my cookbooks. We would discuss whether the dish sounded tasty or not and exactly how we would prepare it. She came to a recipe for peanut butter cookies… and it only had 3 ingredients – 1 egg, 1 cup of peanut butter, and 1 cup of sugar. “That can’t be right!” we agreed… but we both said we were going to try it and see what happened!
That peanut butter cookie recipe has become one of my staples…a family favorite that is quick and easy – and oh, so delicious! No one can believe that there isn’t more to the recipe. How can something so simple be so perfect? Doesn’t it need flour, salt, baking powder… SOMETHING else? The answer is a solid, “NO!”
Do you realize that this is how we often are in our relationship with God? We want to add unnecessary things to the mix… rituals, rules that He never established, ideas and expectations that don’t belong. In short, we want to take something that is sheer perfection and ruin it with added ingredients. What we need to do is to study this scripture passage and take it to heart… “Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about.”
In everything we do, we need ask only one question… “Does this respect and obey God?” Getting ready to judge someone else or say something hateful or unkind? Does this respect and obey God? Want to cheat… anyone or on anything? Will God be respected and obeyed? Feel like doing as you please, regardless of who gets hurt or what responsibilities are shirked? Do your actions represent respect and obedience to God’s will? Choose to take a little time off from serving God to serve yourself? How do you think God will judge this?
In every word and action of our lives… every choice… every breath… if we would only ask this question, the end result might be far more beautiful…more perfect… more pleasing, and even more peaceful. If only we would consider how God will judge what we are about to say or do, we might choose otherwise. Instead, we often choose to add our own interpretation to the mix… to “play with the recipe” – often with horrible results.
Today, let’s stop and ask this simple question… “Will this choice reflect respect and obedience to God?” Let’s let this question guide how we decide… what we choose. We know His “recipe” is perfect… so why do we insist on tinkering with it? If you are swayed to decide in favor of God’s judgment, I’m betting the outcome will be far better. It’s worth a shot… isn’t it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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