Years ago, someone special to me represented/sold a
product that wasn’t in my budget at the time. I was intrigued by the product
and the results it promised so I found a ‘similar’ product and tried it. The
product was only similar because both products shared the main ingredient.
As most of you know, I’ve been getting healthy this year.
Part of my get healthy regimen includes an all-natural supplement which I’ve
chosen to represent. One of the people that I’ve told about my journey said to
me recently, “Oh, yeah, we bought some blah, blah, blah and we are taking it.” My
quizzical look led them to continue. “It’s the main ingredient in the product
you are using.
At first I thought, “Hmmm, what go around comes around.”
Then I remembered that way back when, using the ‘other’ product did nothing for
me.
And that got me to thinking more J
Most people love my Mom’s Chicken ‘n Dumplings. So what’s
the main ingredient in those dumplings? Well, by raw volume, it’s flour. So
following the “You only need the main ingredient” philosophy, can I boil some
flour for you and call it dumplings?
I love Key Lime Pie! It gets its flavor from, of all
things, Key Limes. But would I just sit down and eat a whole Key lime?
So whether it’s the product that wasn't in my budget, the
supplements I enjoy today, my Mom’s biscuits, Key Lime Pie, or something else,
we need to remember that someone, somewhere, over time, worked on a recipe to
make that thing effective for its purpose. They somehow figured out all the things that
need to come together to make the recipe successful.
Our Loving Lord has done that as well. He has laid out the plan and provided us with a variety of ways to serve Him and show our love for Him. While I don’t
believe there is a ‘formula’ for the Christian life, I do believe it takes more
than one ingredient to live a successful Christian life. It’s not just reading
His words. It’s not just going to church. It’s not just praying. It’s not just
witnessing. It’s not just serving one another.
While all those things are good on their own, relying on just one of
them is like eating the Key Lime hoping for the same satisfaction as eating Key
Lime Pie.
Little Lesson Life Expression
Are you trying to sustain your Christian life with a
steady diet of just one ingredient? What is our Loving Lord leading you to add
to your personal recipe for living a life that glorifies Him? How will you
start doing that this week?
Romans
11:19-20 The Message (MSG)
It’s certainly
possible to say, “Other branches were pruned so thatI could be
grafted in!” Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no
longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you’re
on the tree is because your graft “took” when you believed, and because you’re
connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don’t get cocky and strut your
branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green.
1 comment:
After many years of church-going as a child, I have learned that one ingredient doesn't work. Since then, I have not tired just one ingredient at a time.
And for me, I think I need to add more prayer or journaling/writing (writing helps me process what I learned during church or quiet time).
To bring prayer into my life, I can pray right after I read the bible in the morning. To do more journaling/writing, I just have to take out a notebook and start writing, especially during "quiet time".
How about you Sharon?
Post a Comment