The best thing about eating the unbeatable food my mum makes is knowing how much love she put into the finial creation. When she makes the food that appears on my plate in front of me, as if like magic, I often forget the amount of time and money and effort she had to put into it. The thing about my mothers food is that she makes everything from scratch. Often my house feels and smells like a small oriental village, where I can see my mum squatting and pounding up all the spices by hand and stoking up the coals on the authentic little grill. She could easily buy pre-made ingredients and throw them all together. It would look no different, but her loving motherly desire is to give me all she can. Her hearts desire is that she wants me to enjoy what she has prepared, and appreciate the love that has gone into making the perfect meal. I'm her child and she wants the best, so she gives the best she has.
In the same way, sure a fast food place also takes time, money and effort to make their food, but their agenda is much different than that of a home cooked meal. Why do they make it? They make it because they want something from you. They want your money and your business. They want to suck as much out of you as they can.
When Christ died for us, He was offering the ultimate sacrifice of love. All He wanted in return was for us to enjoy his gift. All He wants is for us to appreciate His love and love him in return. Unlike the world's agenda, to simply satisfy us as long as it takes for them to steal from us.
Cooking a home cooked meal takes time and effort. You have to invest yourself to create the dish, especially a meal as good as one from my mum. It takes time to wash and prepare. To mix, chop and heat. Cooking is a work of art, and just like art, it is there to be admired and enjoyed. There are times where you want that food right there and then, you want instant gratification. Its so quick and easy to go and grab Maccas (Mickey D's) or sweet and sour chicken that is most likely made with some sort of four legged animal a western society would call a pet. For me, it's worse when I know someone, somewhere else is enjoying a home cooked meal made with time and love. Because then I eat the food that take-out places label "beef" or "chicken", and immediately I regret spending all that money on a knock-off food that should have been sent to animal welfare, rather than ending up on my plate. I realise I was looking in the wrong place to satisfy my cravings.
We rarely take the time to truly invest into truth. We want instant satisfaction and don't look at the whole picture. We get tunnel visioned and don't see the consequences that lay ahead. We forget that there is going to be a hefty bill at the end of the meal, a meal that wasn't even the real thing anyway (don't get me started on the problems when the food decides to leave you body too).
Don't get me wrong, its not easy to prepare a great meal, but the rewards are better than any self serving, fast-food meal could offer. It last longer, and tastes better. God gives us the best life one could hope for. He gives us something genuine, something we were made for. If we stop living for ourselves and our own instant satisfaction, and just wait on God, we gain so much more. More than any counterfeit could offer. Initially buying groceries costs a lot more than getting a meal out, but it goes so much further than that single meal, and there are no hidden surprises at the end (in more ways than one).
If we give all our time and effort to God and not the satisfaction of self, we get to live a life we always dreamed of. Not riches on this earth, but something far greater, a life with Him, a life with meaning and substance. Its a high price, one big initial cost, but the return is huge. Its an investment. What God gives us in return is priceless, and its worth more than words could ever express.
Consider the cost carefully, make sure you're ready to go the distance and leave the rest up to God.
Luke 14:25-35 (NIV)The Cost of Being a Disciple25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out."He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Thoughts by Tiffany B. An amazing woman of God.
