Growth

At the Sound of the Bell


Temptation is never an easy thing to deal with. That’s why there are so many weight loss programs out there. If it was easy for people to forgo the things that taste good but are bad for us, then the majority of Americans would probably be much more healthy.

However, despite it being hard, Christians can view temptation differently. In our Savior’s life it marked the beginning of His public ministry. When He was led out in the dessert to fast, commune with His Father, and face Satan’s calls towards sin, it was an indication that He was about to enter the scene. Instead of marking the termination of work in Christ’s life, it marked the beginning of God’s work that would be publicly displayed through Him.

May we view it the same way. As a pastor at my church stated, Christians should view temptation like the ringing of the bell at the start of a boxing match. It’s the signal that there’s about to be a fight. And believers have the confidence to know that we have been thoroughly equipped and prepared to win. Our job is then to do that which we’ve been in training for – to reflect God’s glory not only despite the temptation, but within it.

My dad has always said, using his military background as context, that if you aren’t being tempted “you better check your six” because if you are being used for Christ’s kingdom, you soon will be. May we not only be on the lookout for what’s calling us away from God, but may we recognize the honor that it is to fight temptation like our Savior did, and to stand victoriously with Him.

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Growth

Too Close for Comfort


Cooking is a favorite pastime for many people. For some, it’s the thrill of creation – taking ingredients and combining them in such a way to discover an unrealized masterpiece. For others, cooking is a means of expression – a way to take care of those that we love. For me, it’s a mixture of both, plus a dash of being able to offer hospitality. Food is a unifier – it creates common experiences among us.

Along with the benefits enunciated above, there’s also lessons that can be learned from spending some time in the kitchen. Some of these lessons are rather mundane in nature such as what ingredients taste well together, and what spoon is best for stirring sticky dough. However, other lessons go beyond the confines of the kitchen and filter into life.

I was reminded of this recently when, while I was cooking, I knocked a tomato out of the pan and onto the stove top below. Without thoroughly pondering my actions, I reached for the outcast tomato. The problem with this was that the stove was still on. I convinced myself, however, that my fingers were small enough to reach the tomato without getting burned. As you might imagine, I was wrong.

You can also probably see the analogy to life. So many times I find myself reaching for something that I want, even though I know that in all wisdom I should probably pass it by. I convince myself that I can negotiate around the hurdles and still get my coveted prize. Whether its a tangible reward or the reputation I long for, I try to create shortcuts to getting that which I think is rightly mine. And so often I wind up getting burned.

What I have to learn is that if God desires for me to have something He will provide it. No amount of compromise is required on my part to get something which He wishes to bestow. And if it’s not something that comes from His hand, why should I want to grasp it anyway?

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