Following the Recipe

Dick and I are hosting a Christmas Open House for our congregation. We are looking forward to chatting with people in an informal setting and offering them the opportunity to get to know each other better. It is our gift to those who have loved and supported us throughout the year.

For refreshments, Dick wants to serve cookies, so we he has been baking a batch every day. He enjoys baking; I do not. But I felt guilty letting him do all the work, so, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies while he was making a run to Walmart for more ingredients. However, my cookies did not turn out quite the way I hoped, as you can see in the photo.

I got to looking online at why cookies run together. Improperly measuring ingredients (as in using liquid versus dry measuring cups—who knew???), melting rather than softening the butter, using eggs before they have reached room temperature, out-of-date baking powder or baking soda, or skipping the “chill-dough” step can all affect how our cookies will turn out. Success requires following the proven methods for baking each kind of cookie.

Did you know there is a recipe for Becoming More Christlike in 2 Peter 1?

INGREDIENTS: “5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; 7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.”
DIRECTIONS: “8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.”

 Are we following the recipe God has given us as we build on our faith in Jesus as our Savior? Are we continuing to strive to know God better, to exercise greater self-control, to keep on working to be godly followers of Jesus, to be more genuinely loving, etc.? If we want to be more Christ-like we need each of these qualities—in proper balance. Like adding too much sugar or not enough flour negatively affects our cookies, knowledge without self-control will make us pompous, and godliness without love is hypocritical. Each attribute builds on to and balances another, and when appropriately mixed, enables us to be active and effective Christians.

My cookie-baking skills could use some practice but, more importantly, my adherence to God’s recipe for Christ-likeness needs perfecting—something much harder to do. However, God doesn’t expect this of us in our own strength. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “God’s divine power has given us all we need to live a truly religious life . . . so that we may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.” (v. 4)

Be encouraged!

Pam

©2018 Pamela D. Williams

God is Near

Immanuel or Emmanuel— is Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל meaning, "God with us.” Immanuel is the word Isaiah used (7:14) when he prophesied about the coming of the Savior, and Matthew (1:23) refers to it in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. During the Christmas season we hear “God is with us” quite often—sung in songs, preached in sermons, and read on greeting cards.

Believers are encouraged to share this Good News with others. The message, “God is with you” is for everyone, but it is also a private message—it is God saying to me and to you, “I am with you, (Name).

A spiritual exercise recommended on SacredSpace.ie urges readers to take some time to imagine hearing these words, spoken directly to each one of our hearts. Who is speaking the words?

When I listen closely, I hear “God is with you” from a variety of sources. The pages of my Bible come immediately to mind, with those particular words in bold print, underlined, highlighted, and with a spotlight shining on them. I hear my husband saying them from the front of over a dozen churches. I hear a plethora of Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and Christian friends reminding me that God is with me. Most especially, I hear God whispering them to my heart during my private time of prayer and devotions.

Who do you hear saying, “God is with you”?

The second half of the exercise suggests taking some time to imagine speaking these words. To whom do I speak them?

For me, I try to speak them through this blog, through cards that I make and send to those who are sick, shut-in, or discouraged, and through 1-on-1 conversations with family members, friends, or complete strangers with whom I feel God nudging me to encourage. However, I admit, I hear the words more often than I speak them.

Lord, who do you want me to remind today that You are with them? Show me when and how.

Be encouraged!

Pam

©2018 Pamela D. Williams