Brownie Pan Goodness

Brownie Pan Goodness

Recently, I was preparing a quadruple batch of brownies at a children’s camp.  As I was spooning the last of the batter from the mixing bowl into the pans, I felt a bit lazy.  I thought of the powerful sprayer in the dish room.  I could leave the last this batter in the bowl and it would come off in seconds with a stream of its spray.  As quickly as that thought had occurred to me, it was replaced by the realization that I did not want to lose all that ooey, gooey goodness.  This was a triple chocolate recipe. I proceeded to scrape all I could from the bowl into the pan.

Sometimes we can approach life in this same way.  It’s easy to think more about doing just the minimum to get by.  It’s almost as if we just want to do what we must to feel good about ourselves.  We may not want to put in the effort to give all that we really can to a project at hand.   Then we rely on the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to wash away any mess our actions, or lack of actions, have left behind. 

It is absolutely true that Jesus has already paid the price for any sin, past, present or future, we could ever commit.  King David understood this when he wrote, “Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7 NIV)  David had sinned and knew that forgiveness came only from the Lord.  He also knew that God’s forgiveness was complete.  ‘Whiter than snow’ is far cleaner than any pan rinsed with the dish room sprayer.  Only the death of Jesus on the cross brings total forgiveness.

Sometimes it is not a temptation to sin that trips us up.  We can become tired while doing right.  We may feel we have done enough and someone else should step in.  The apostle Paul, who had great opportunity to become tired, said, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NIV)  He endured hardships and long hours, and he was often not appreciated. In God’s strength, we also need to keep on keeping on.

This leads to the question, “What is enough?”    Obedience that aims at the minimum requirements is not truly an obedience of love.  Our obedience should always aim to please God with our entire life.  This requires faith.  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)  Faith and obedience practiced together bring God’s greatest rewards.  His goodness and favor will follow the believer that displays these traits in their lives.  We will grow in His character and be blessed.

So the question we ask should not be, “What is the least I can get by with and still please God?”  He loves us just the way we are, with both our good qualities and our flaws.  The true question to ask is, “What can I do for You today Lord, just because I want to be a blessing to You?”  That is when God’s heart will be blessed and He will also pour out more revelation of Himself, which is His richest blessing.

As you go about the regular activities of your life, ask the Lord how you can bless Him in your actions.  You will find yourself tasting all the ooey, gooey goodness of His Character and His favor.