Need Seasoning?

Picture by Caprice Miller

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” – Matthew 5:13

I know people who absolutely love spicy food.  The more spice the better.  I even know someone who took on the “4 horsemen challenge” and lived to tell about it.  The 4 horsemen is a burger made with 4 of the hottest peppers including the infamous ghost pepper.  The people building the burger actually have to wear gloves …not for sanitary purposes, but because the peppers will burn their hands.  Now imagine that in your digestive system.  (and ponder…..)  For the rest of us, we would probably be fine with just enough to add a little kick to the taste of our food.  After all, we want to enjoy the meal, not fight it.  We enjoy the flavor sensation the spices bring to the food and, like the picture above, the color some of these spices add.  It just makes for a pleasant dining experience.  Not too much, not too bland, but just enough to make you want more.

Jesus talked about “flavor additives” too.  Back in biblical times, salt was very important.  Not only did it season food, but it was used to preserve food also.  But consider how salt can lose its flavor.  If it is exposed to the air (the elements) too long or if it is put in water, it becomes bland and dissolves.  If Jesus told us that we are the salt of the earth, this was His warning to us.  Don’t allow yourself to become so over-exposed to the elements of the world and the culture around you that you become bland.  Don’t allow yourself to be so diluted in this world that you just dissolve and your influence disappears.  There is a delicate balance we are called to in being the “salt of the earth”.  Too much salt probably means that we have taken over the shaking ourselves and could result in someone turning away from our influence with a bad taste in their mouth.  Too little salt may mean that we have just become another Christian in name only with no seasoning at all – tasteless.  There is a balance of influence that requires us to allow ourselves to be poured out by the One who seasons us. When we allow God to pour us out, the influence that we can have on the world around us can leave such a flavor that they just want more of what we have.  It’s not too much, it’s not bland, but just enough to make people want more of Him.  Imagine what a difference we could make if we allowed God to use us to flavor the world around us.

It's Freezing Out There!

 

Picture by Caprice Miller

 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. – 2 Timothy 4:2

 

When it freezes in Texas, as it is in the picture above,  our world basically comes to a stop.  The roads ice over and traction is no more when it comes to driving.  So we just resign ourselves to keep the doors shut and the fire stoked.  Hopefully, everyone took note of the weather forecast before the freeze and stocked their pantry.  Otherwise, you will soon realize how much food you don’t have and water too if the pipes freeze.   Cabin fever soon becomes an issue also as we wait for the sun to thaw the ice.  It is such a great feeling to feel the sun on your face after being deprived of it for so long. 

As I think of these winter freezes, it reminds me of the seasons we go through in our lives.  The Summer season is so full of fun in the sun and we experience so much laughter and joy.  As Summer fades into fall we begin to “harvest” what will sustain us through the winter.  We should learn, read and develop relationships with those that will lift us up.  But if we don’t take the time to “harvest” and take in what we need , we could be in real trouble when we experience those winter “events”.  Winter can be harsh.  It could come in the form of loneliness, depression, a bad diagnosis or news of tragedy.  Any of these occurrences can make you feel distant from God.  But how can we prepare for those times?  It’s not as though we can check a forecast to see what we are about to encounter in our lives that make us want to shut the doors and curl up in a blanket.  But what we do know is that we all experience winters in life.  This is why it’s important to be prepared; to stock our heart’s pantry with God’s reminders of His promises and love.  For some, the most warming thing they can do is worship by playing music that reminds them of God’s love.   Sometimes the act of worshipping God in the midst of our “winter event” is enough to stoke the fire of our hearts from a small ember to a burning inferno.   In addition to God’s word on our hearts and worshipping Him we should always remember to reach out to friends who can encourage us.  God puts friends in our lives for this purpose.  Godly friends will always be there to lift you up and act as the warm blanket you need.

 As you go through these winters of life, always remember that seasons come and fade into another season.  After the winter comes the spring.  A season that is full of newness and warmth.  A time when you begin to experience God’s presence as your heart melts for Him again.  You realize then that when you shut the door to the winter bitterness, you might have shut God out for a time too.  We should  be so thankful for the warmth and nourishment God gives us through His word that reminds us of His love and promises, music to worship Him and the friends who encourage us.  We should also remember that no matter what season we are in at the moment, we should always prepare for those winter events.  He wants to make sure we stay warm and nourished. 

New Shoe Strut

Picture by Caprice Miller

But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”  Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.   He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.   All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. – Acts 3:6-9

It’s a really great feeling to get a new pair of shoes.  It could be a tennis shoe that you just KNOW will make you run faster and jump higher.  Maybe it’s a blinged out flip flop or hot stiletto that makes you hold your head a little higher as you walk.  Or maybe it’s one of these boots in the picture that has your name on it that causes you to strut a little more.  Whatever it may be, for many of us it puts a spring in our step to put on a new shoe.  You just want to show it off.   

For others, well….it’s “just a shoe”.  The concept of a new shoe just doesn’t resonate with them.  Chances are, it use to though.  Maybe the “new shoe excitement” wore off and now they go through life “just wearing” a new shoe instead of “experiencing” it.  When you think about it, too many of us seem to have gotten in a similar place in life.  We go through each day just putting one foot in front of the other not thinking about where the steps are taking us from or where the steps could lead us to. Imagine what it could be like if we took those same steps with anticipation of possibilities.   

The man in the passage today had lived a life not even being able to take a step.  But then Peter and John came along and suddenly, because the power in the name of Jesus Christ, he could WALK!  You better believe he was anticipating possibilities with each step!  His life had completely and radically changed because of this encounter; because someone took the time to share the power of Jesus with him.  It was probably not long after he took his first step that he began sharing his story.  In a real sense, this man had just gotten an amazing pair of new shoes and he couldn’t wait to strut around in them.  And “All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God.”

When was the last time you shared your excitement for what God has done in your life?  Maybe it’s something as miraculous as this man’s experience.  That would be hard not to share.  Or maybe you find it hard to think of anything to be excited or grateful for in this moment.  But as my good friend, Caprice, says – “There’s always something to be grateful for.”  In the times when we find it most difficult to experience that excitement and gratefulness, remember, God loves you right where you are.  He loves you so much He sacrificed His Son for you.  (John 3:16)  He knows your heart, what hurts you right now and what you struggle with.  In this moment, be grateful that you are not alone.  God is with you.  Praise Him for His presence.  By opening up our hearts to this reality, we open up our hearts to allow Him to show us more to be grateful and excited for. 

By the way, you might be reading this and not have accepted the gift of Christ as your own…. “new shoes”.  But you can put those new shoes of salvation and new life on today.  Just pray this simple prayer and make it your own:  “Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and that I have messed up from time to time. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that God raised Him from the dead. I choose to follow You, Jesus, and I confess that You are my savior. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. I love You. Amen.”

Now, you too can walk, leap and praise God for His gift.   

Extremes

Picture by Caprice Miller

“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:8

The extremes for winter and summer can be brutal.  I’ve heard stories about the artic temperatures of the long winters in the northern states.  And I have experienced the triple digits of long Texas Summers.   My own Michiganite brother-in-law refuses to visit Texas in the summer due to those triple digits.  I have to say, I don’t really have a desire to visit Michigan in the winter either.   However, being native to these areas, we each have our ways of dealing with the extremes.  We would probably be able to provide a survival guide if we visit each other during these extreme seasonal times.   If I had to endure the arctic temperatures of Michigan, I would feel safer knowing I had someone like him to guide me.  I trust that he cares for me enough to not let me freeze.  And I dare say that he trusts me (and his native Texan wife) enough to know that he would not spontaneously combust due to the heat in Texas.   We each know the secrets to not only survive where our roots are, but also thrive there too. 

In life, we find ourselves confronted with extremes too.   Things are going smoothly and suddenly … a relationship crumbles, you can’t pay your bills, the doctor gives a devastating diagnosis, you receive a life altering call.   The extremes of life can be debilitating and cause people to give up because they can’t see beyond the mountain of circumstances in front of them.  It’s in these times that we are reminded how important it is for our roots to grow deep where we can draw from life giving water.   When we trust in God in the good times, it is a natural response to call on Him first when we encounter life’s extremes.  We don’t have to wonder if we can trust Him at that time because we have already experienced His love in our lives.  We know that He loves and cares for us enough to bring us through the extremes.  We know that He is our life giving water.    And when others look into our lives and wonder how we will survive, they will see the roots of our faith drawing from God’s living water. 

If you are being confronted by life’s extremes, reach out to God and draw on His power for peace, strength and comfort.  And let someone know so they can pray with you.   You never know who God may put in your life to help you during this time.  These are secrets to surviving and thriving in the midst of the extremes.