Raisin Cakes

Today is a day of feasting.  I heard on the radio, most of us will consume a day’s worth of calories at one seating.  Some will partake of as many as 5000 calories, more than 2 days’ worth for some.  It depends on the day, but I am certain that these are conservative estimates of what I hope to accomplish.  This is one day of the year, I do not intend to fast or feel guilt over what I eat.

I have, however, been attempting to fast in a sense over the last 40 days.  I have been trying to say “no” more often to achieve my “greater yes,” which is to turn to God more often.

I love comfort and food is a form of comfort to me.  Inadvertently, I was studying what it meant to truly comfort someone, according to Scripture; and I found there is a Greek word for comfort (as a noun) that bothers me somewhat.  The Greek word is anesis, from which we get our word “anesthesiology.”

Why should this bother me?  Ask me later after your Thanksgiving feast.  How do you feel after consuming all of that incredible food?  I would imagine, like me you will feel somewhat anesthetized.

One day a year is not what I would consider a problem, but it is the fact that day after day I may be taking this anesthesia to deal with the pain or discomfort or stress of the day, rather than turning to the true Comforter for what I need.  And it isn’t just food, there are other things or activities that I may be turning to instead of the Holy Spirit that is available to me.

What does this have to do with raisin cakes?  In Hosea 3:1, God condemns Israel for their worship of other gods and their love for raisin cakes.  Raisin cakes were regarded as luxuries and used as delicacies.  The attraction of idol worship was that it involved a form of sensuality that was appealing to the people of Israel.  Raisin cakes were a part of that particular practice.  God was condemning their turning to other gods and, in particular to those that involved something so sensuous.  I can only imagine how many calories were consumed at one of their worship services.

Today, take a pass.  Tomorrow, or maybe after the leftovers are all consumed, consider…”How do I anesthetize (comfort) myself?”  Jesus left us the Comforter, the paraklete to comfort us and strengthen us for the work He has given us to do.  Let’s take advantage of this.

 

Godspeed, Happy Thanksgiving

Phil

Niche-picking

We all have at one time or another sought to obtain an advantage, an edge if you will.  Maybe you camped out all night to buy the first of the new iPhones, or to buy tickets to a concert.  Perhaps you are one who loves the after-Thanksgiving sales and staying up all night to get the best bargains.  I have worked with young people who stay up all night to be able to spend $150 or more on a new pair of gym shoes with a particular person’s name attached to them.

 

It isn’t just something we do as college students or adults.  Most likely, we did something like this when we were younger. Maybe it was in sports where we learned that to win, we had to find the weakness of our opponent, an area of vulnerability in order to defeat him/her.  I played chess.  The strategy of chess involves placing your opponent at a particularly disadvantageous position referred to as checkmate. 

 

A similar thing occurs in the business world referred to as niche-picking.  It is a term having to do with strategically placing oneself in a “potentially advantageous position,” e.g., for advancement, promotion, a raise or bonus, or to make a sale, for example.  In the marketplace, we attempt to place ourselves or our product before our audience in such a way so as to convince them to purchase our merchandise over that of our competition.

 

Each of the above situations involves our making an effort to be in a “potentially advantageous position” over someone else, usually for our own benefit.  However, we are given a completely different set of instructions in the Scriptures.  Beginning with the words of Jesus, we are told, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave (Matt. 19:26-27).”  Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phil. 2:3-4).”

 

This theme is rampant throughout Scripture.  Paul writes to the Ephesians, “Walk worthy of the calling to which you were called (4:1).”  What is he referring to?  What is the nature of this walk?  In 5:2, he states, “Walk in love.”  In 5:15, Paul encourages us to, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.”  Mulholland offers this for our consideration.  “Wisdom is the ordering of life according to God’s will and purpose (not our own).  Wisdom is bringing all the dynamics of your being into harmony with the word God is speaking you forth to be in the world (“Shaped by the Word”).”

 

Paul adds to what he has been saying, “making the best use of time.”  Here, he uses the Greek word “kairos” for the word time.  Kairos refers to a special time, an almost sacred time.  The idea is that we are to be mindful of a particular time when all that God is doing comes to fruition.  We are to be mindful of that time and be prepared to respond, not for our own sake, but for the benefit of others.

 

For the Christian, in whatever context, putting ourselves in a “potentially advantageous position” has to do with placing ourselves in the hands of the Father to be used to accomplish His purpose through us.

 

Godspeed, Phil