Matthew 7:12
Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Last
week, we celebrated Grandma E’s 90th birthday with a “luncheon” at our
house. My mother-in-law didn’t want a big fuss, so we invited my
husband’s brother and sister-in-law to join us - and kept it simple. I
served a dish that is a local favorite…”Chicken Eden Isle.” This dish
consists of chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, sitting on top of dried
beef and baked in a sauce of cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and
sour cream. The chicken and sauce are served over a bed of rice. Since
this dish is rich and decadent, we serve it so seldom that it is a real
treat for all of us.
My mother-in-law told me that once, she
baked this recipe to enter in a chicken cooking contest. Because the
dish had to be “original,” she changed the ingredients to include curry
powder and renamed the concoction…and her recipe won! I told her that I
wasn’t sure everyone attending our lunch would like curry, so I was
going to stick with the original recipe…and she agreed that this was
best.
The “simple” recipe for Chicken Eden Isle over rice needs
no variations – unless you are entering an “original recipe” cooking
contest! It stands on its own merits and is more than complete. There
is nothing wrong with adding another spice or changing the mixture a
bit…although there is inherent risk that what is changed might make the
dish less tasty. But truly, all we need to have a complete and
delectable meal is the basic recipe for this chicken dish. And that is
what Matthew 7:12 tells us about our Christian discipleship, the teachings of Jesus, and all of the
laws and the prophecy.
Everything we read in the Old
Testament…every Law of Moses…every proverb of King Solomon…every
commandment of Jesus in the Gospels…and every admonition of the authors
of the New Testament...can be summed up in this one sentence - ”Treat
others as you
want them to treat you.” We don’t need “add-ons”…or variations. We
don’t need to try to do things another way and see if the outcome will
be as good – or even better. We know already that when we treat others
as we wish to be treated, there is every possibility that things will go
better…that the outcome will be a more positive one…that our grace,
mercy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and understanding will rub off
on others.
Sometimes, we think that we know best. If we just do
this or say that, everything will work out great! And sometimes, our
ideas get us into a heap of trouble! If we will only remember the
“recipe” that Jesus has given us…and treat others as we want them to
treat us…God will handle any other details and make sure that the end
result is perfect. Whose “Spiritual recipe” are you using these days?
Is it time for you to simplify and let God have control? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label adding our own ideas to Gods plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adding our own ideas to Gods plan. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 20, 2015
Job 28:28
And this is what he says to all mankind: ‘Look, to fear the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I was watching a show about people who weigh more than 600 pounds and desperately want gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight. On one particular episode, the doctor asked his patient, “What do you eat?” The young man explained that “I only eat twice a day…but I snack a lot, and I can’t seem to get by without potatoes – especially potato chips.” The doctor asked this patient what he thought would happen to him if he stopped eating the chips. “I would probably lose weight,” he replied.
The young man really didn’t want to do this. He told the doctor that he was an emotional eater…that he didn’t eat because he was hungry, but because he was trying to feed inner conflicts. This is a common behavior…and the doctor pointed out that if the young man continued to feed his feelings after surgery, he still would not lose weight.
This doctor has a reputation for helping morbidly obese people get their lives back on track…and this young man had a healthy “fear” (respect) for the doctor’s opinion. He was able to receive psychological counseling in tandem with the bypass surgery – and he lost almost 400 pounds. But for every “success story” on this program, there are probably two or three stories of people who simply cannot stop eating poorly and don’t keep the weight off long-term. In fact, there is a “five-year mark” that is deemed the true measure of success. If the patient can lose weight and maintain it for five years, there is a decent chance that this weight loss will be permanent.
In so many ways, we are the obese person who looks to God to help us lose our “weight”…but we don’t want to give up the “chips.” We know that God can fix us…that He can heal our bodies, minds and souls…that He can resolve conflicts and set us on the right course in every area of our lives. But we want Him to do this while we continue right on with our old habits. We want to wring our hands over people and problems. We want to eat whatever we choose and sit on our backsides. We want to gripe and complain, gossip and disparage, and do as we please…and we want God to fix it all.
The truth is…we can’t have it both ways. A lot of us are wise enough to trust and “fear” God…but fewer of us have figured out that the real victory comes in an understanding of how He works. And this means that we must do our part and forsake evil in all of its forms.
So our assignment for today is to take a good hard look at our lives and see where we are allowing “evil” of some sort to control us. Where have we not fully surrendered to God? Where have we given up on something or someone instead of humbly trusting God to work in this situation? Where have we thrown up our hands and said, “It’s no use!” – and “opened the bag of chips and begun to eat?”
Look at the circumstances of your life today, and make the necessary changes. Fear (respect) God and walk in His wisdom – and grow in understanding of how He cares for you and meets your every need. Surrender your will to God’s…and see how far He will take you. Make this the day that you shed the weight of a life not fully offered to God and discover the new “spring in your step” that comes from letting Him have your burdens. This is the day to “lighten our load!” I’m all in…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
And this is what he says to all mankind: ‘Look, to fear the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I was watching a show about people who weigh more than 600 pounds and desperately want gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight. On one particular episode, the doctor asked his patient, “What do you eat?” The young man explained that “I only eat twice a day…but I snack a lot, and I can’t seem to get by without potatoes – especially potato chips.” The doctor asked this patient what he thought would happen to him if he stopped eating the chips. “I would probably lose weight,” he replied.
The young man really didn’t want to do this. He told the doctor that he was an emotional eater…that he didn’t eat because he was hungry, but because he was trying to feed inner conflicts. This is a common behavior…and the doctor pointed out that if the young man continued to feed his feelings after surgery, he still would not lose weight.
This doctor has a reputation for helping morbidly obese people get their lives back on track…and this young man had a healthy “fear” (respect) for the doctor’s opinion. He was able to receive psychological counseling in tandem with the bypass surgery – and he lost almost 400 pounds. But for every “success story” on this program, there are probably two or three stories of people who simply cannot stop eating poorly and don’t keep the weight off long-term. In fact, there is a “five-year mark” that is deemed the true measure of success. If the patient can lose weight and maintain it for five years, there is a decent chance that this weight loss will be permanent.
In so many ways, we are the obese person who looks to God to help us lose our “weight”…but we don’t want to give up the “chips.” We know that God can fix us…that He can heal our bodies, minds and souls…that He can resolve conflicts and set us on the right course in every area of our lives. But we want Him to do this while we continue right on with our old habits. We want to wring our hands over people and problems. We want to eat whatever we choose and sit on our backsides. We want to gripe and complain, gossip and disparage, and do as we please…and we want God to fix it all.
The truth is…we can’t have it both ways. A lot of us are wise enough to trust and “fear” God…but fewer of us have figured out that the real victory comes in an understanding of how He works. And this means that we must do our part and forsake evil in all of its forms.
So our assignment for today is to take a good hard look at our lives and see where we are allowing “evil” of some sort to control us. Where have we not fully surrendered to God? Where have we given up on something or someone instead of humbly trusting God to work in this situation? Where have we thrown up our hands and said, “It’s no use!” – and “opened the bag of chips and begun to eat?”
Look at the circumstances of your life today, and make the necessary changes. Fear (respect) God and walk in His wisdom – and grow in understanding of how He cares for you and meets your every need. Surrender your will to God’s…and see how far He will take you. Make this the day that you shed the weight of a life not fully offered to God and discover the new “spring in your step” that comes from letting Him have your burdens. This is the day to “lighten our load!” I’m all in…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 13, 2013
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
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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