Following God's Recipe     Food. There are so many jokes about it, so many books about it, and so many stories about it. I'm sure most of us have a story to share about a meal we enjoyed, or hated, somewhere. Baptists often joke about meeting and eating or not being able to meet without eating. Many of you have told me about great local restaurants, favorite places to eat, favorite foods, and so on.   I ran across some quotes that I thought you might enjoy.   Bennett Cerf told of an American soldier who, billeted in England during World War II, didn't like the way the food was cooked at a local inn. He barely touched the food that was set down before him. The waiter was indignant. "Aren't you ashamed to be wasting food that way?" he chided. "Don't you know that food will win the war?" "Could be," allowed the American. "But who's going to get the enemy to eat here?"   One woman to another: "I have a marvelous meat loaf recipe. All I do is mention it to my husband and he says, 'Let's eat out.'"   Speaking of eating out, I never cease to be amazed at what a good chef can do with food. When following the recipe correctly, the results are sensational; works of art, if you will.   Likewise, God has very specific recipes for life. If we follow them, our lives can be sensational. If we don't, we can make a mess of everything.   In Colossians 3, we find two very important lists. One lists things we must not include as part of the recipe of life or we are certain to make a mess of things. Look at verses 5-11:   5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."   Doubtless we have all heard of people who have inadvertently substituted salt for sugar and have ruined the recipe. One guy said, I remember one year we were invited to Grandma's house for dinner. Grandpa said, "This turkey tastes funny. What did you stuff it with?" Grandma said, "I didn't have to stuff it. It wasn't hollow." I won't elaborate.   A refusal to follow the specific instructions God has set forth for our lives tends to leave the same stench as the wrongly cooked turkey.   But notice what God does want us to include in verses 12-17:   12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."   With those ingredients included, whose life wouldn't be a pleasant aroma to the Lord?   When it comes to your life, what are you cooking up? Are you working hard to include the right things in the recipe of your life? Are you responding correctly to the sweet and sour experiences that God allows to come your way? If not, it's not too late to begin.   If one bad apple spoils the whole barrel, then it's safe to assume that if we allow one of these wrong ingredients to permeate our lives, then we grieve the Spirit of God and "spoil" that which God is up to in our lives.   God's recipe for your life is for good, not for evil. The things He asks you to include and exclude are not attempts to sour life or rob you of joy. In fact, they are attempts at making your joy complete and making your life a delicacy. As you sample the various snacks and desserts, think about what went into making them, and what you're allowing to go in to you.   By the way, if you are looking for books so that you can read up on cooking, consider these.       ˘ The World's Best Recipes, Gus Tatorial       ˘ What's for Dinner?, Chuck Roast       ˘ How to Cook a Steak, Porter House       ˘ After the Corned Beef and Cabbage, Kay O'Pectate       ˘ How to Make Cornmeal Flapjacks, Johnny Cake       ˘ Outdoor Cookery, Barbie Cue       ˘ Outdoor Dining, Alf Resco       ˘ The Good Breakfast, Hammond Deggs       ˘ The Proper Texture of Spaghetti, Al Dente       ˘ Southern California Waffles, Sandy Eggo       ˘ The French Chef, Sue Flay       ˘ Indian/Italian Cuisine, Ravi Oley       ˘ Mexican/Italian Cuisine, Pepe Roney       ˘ Italian Delicacies, Liz Onya       ˘ Things to Cook Meat In, Stu Potts1     __________________ 1 Anonymous

 

 

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