Skillet Meals

Being a bachelor, I have to cook for myself...which stinks...and sometimes REALLY stinks!! :P

Tonight's entree was one of those skillet meals that have everything included, just add 1/2 cup of water. While masterfully "cooking" this thing, I noticed that most of it was corn. That may not mean anything to you, but to a person with Crohn's Disease, that is not good. While lamenting the situation, I came to the realization that the corn and the amount thereof, was the reason that the meal was as cheap as it was. There was chicken in there, but not much. There were carrots and broccoli, but not much of either of those. There was pasta...a bit. But there was a ton of corn in there. Here's why...corn is plentiful, corn is cheap and therefore, corn is EASY.

I got to thinking about most of the people who call themselves Christians, including myself. If you ask most of us how we're doing spiritually, we'll have you believe we're doing well, striving hard, trying to please God. But if you could be a fly on the shoulder and follow us around, what you'd probably witness is that this life we call the Christian life is full of corn. We coast through our days and get by with the least amount of effort we can. We like it like the skillet meal makers...we like it EASY.

I was talking for a few minutes today with an 88 year old woman on my mail route. She was reading the old testament and was quoting things from it. She started with "I will bless the Lord at all times...." and I finished it with "and His praise shall continually be in my mouth." She smiled and repeated the same thing and complimented me on my recollection of the verse. But I got to thinking....but IS His praise continually in my mouth? or is it just when life is EASY, like corn?

Jesus said radical things like, if you want to be my disciple, you have to lay down your life, take up your cross and follow me. Abide in the vine so you can bear fruit. And if you bear a bunch of fruit, you'll show yourselves to be my disciples. NOT easy. Paul wrote that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. He even repeated himself again and said "rejoice!" Not easy. Jesus said that if we were his disciples, we would obey the new commandment that he gave...that we would love one another. OUCH!! Really not easy. This kind of stuff is the broccoli and chicken of the skillet meal. Quite a bit more costly, therefore, quite a bit less seen in the mix.

Living a real Christian life that pleases the Father is costly. He purchased us with the ultimate price--the blood of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. He gave His all to redeem us off the slave block of sin. All He asks of us is that we give our all to Him. Corn is not enough, or as David put it (in the mailman paraphrase) I won't make offerings to the Lord that cost me nothing. God, help us all to give of our best for You each day and leave the corn behind.