God, would you like some old mashed potatoes?

First, I heard the concept of serving leftovers to God from the book, “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. Over a year ago, I read that book and felt an enormity of conviction about my love relationship with God. What stuck with me are the crazy things people in love do, and whether or not I feel that way about God. But, just recently, I have been obsessed with the concept of serving leftovers to God. I re-read the chapter, “Serving leftovers to a holy God” tonight. The lack of commitment to Christ I see is driving me crazy. And all the time, as I see people making time for everything in the world but God, I think these words, “Well God, I already served dinner, but would you like some of these cold mashed potatoes from yesterday?”

There is a reason why this problem burdens my heart. I have served God leftovers most of my life. I could go to church nearly every Sunday and not offer to God my first and best. I could spend my time in church each week, and still manage to avoid total abandon with Christ. Since, I spent so long in this self-made prison, I can’t help but recognize when I see it in others. Don’t misunderstand. I am not saying, “Oh. I just wish everyone could love Jesus like I do!” It is not about me at all. On the contrary, I just can’t stand to see people locking the shackles, when I have felt freedom. I also know that we cannot break free without radically loving Christ. He doesn’t want our second serving. He wants our first. In fact, he calls giving lame, second best sacrifices evil (Malachi 1:8). So, it isn’t busyness. It’s evil.

What does all this mean? What does it look like to give God our second best? I’m not sure it looks the same in everyone, but I do know one thing. What is most important to you is constantly on your mind. If you have kids, no matter what you are doing they are somewhere readily accessible in your thoughts. You don’t think about them in certain places, but you are constantly reminded of them by things all the time. How often does God enter your thoughts? We are controlled by what is in our mind. If we are filled with the spirit, we want to serve God. That is what it looks like to give God first position. If we are filled with busyness and activity and self we are controlled by ourselves and what we consider our best interest to be. We forget to do things we planned to do at church, we miss fellowships together and we have legitimate and good excuses that let us off the hook with other people. But God is not fooled. He knows whom He taken a backseat to.

I had a powerful moment with God recently that nearly brought me to tears. I had to cry out to him and say, “God, I have to know… if what I see is okay for everyone else, it must be okay for me. So, can I serve you when I don’t have a valid excuse to do otherwise, or can I put the blessings you have given me like children and family first?” I know you already know the answer to this in your mind, and so did I. I know God is above my darling husband, and my beautiful children, and all of the other things that loving these blessings brings into my life. But, in that moment, I needed to know it with my heart. “God, I know I am supposed to put you before all the things in my life, but that’s not what I see in other Christians. So is it ok, or isn’t it?” And God spoke to my spirit. And with a sigh of relief and a heart satisfied, I knew that if I gave Jesus all I had, first and always, He would give me more that I could love others with. I have to put Christ first, and in doing that I will have more love for my husband, and more patience with my kids and more compassion for other people who just don’t get it.

Jesus is amazing. Don’t serve Him re-warmed ham and beans. A King deserves a feast!

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." ~ Matthew 6:33

Feed Me!

Some things are better left unfed. My daughter has a guinea pig. If she didn’t feed it, I can’t say I would miss the smelly creature if it… eh-hem… perished. However, she continues to feed it, and it continues to live and stink up the entirety of our school room. I do not like that pig, but it must be fed.

Our flesh is like an animal. It needs to be fed to thrive. The more we feed it, it grows and thrives. Our flesh desires things… worldly things. It desires sin and relishes in it when we feed it with our inconsistent behavior. Before we know it, our flesh can be a fat, over-fed pig stinking up our lives and everyone else’s.  But, God does not desire that for us. See, the flesh is supposed to weak in comparison to the spirit. The spirit rushes in and floods our lives. It draws us toward spiritual growth and gives us discernment with the weaknesses in the flesh. So, why is it then that we continue to struggle with our fleshly desires? Well, the spirit, too, requires good feeding.

Our spirituality is like a muscle. When we work it out, when we live it, it gets stronger. It gets strong enough to fight the ghastly flesh. Our spirits need to be cultivated with the Word of God. When we fellowship with other believers, when we walk in the counsel of men who are Godly, we water our thirsty spirit. We can exercise our spiritual muscle by following God in obedience.  Learning He is faithful, we have some reliable memories to draw from. We build relationship with our Creator, and spend time with Him in prayer and stillness. It is then, by the power of the Spirit, flesh can be combated. (Romans 12:21)

So, is the flesh or the Spirit being fed in your life? What do you spend your day thinking about? If your cluttered mind is full of a busy schedule, your flesh is being fed. If you have a pet sin, that is nowhere near as wretched as your neighbors, you are feeding your flesh. If you can’t wait to talk about the latest news about someone else you heard, your flesh is so happy and fed! But, filling our minds with things that are good and holy and of God, meeting and encouraging others in the faith, and spending time with the one true God, builds the only weapon we have against self-destructing flesh. So, what will you feed today?

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” ~ Galatians 5:16-17