Good Meals Require Time

When time allows, I love to cook a meal from scratch. I choose not to use a lot of the additives that pre-made foods usually contain. Today, as I prepared stew and a dessert, I enjoyed the searing, chopping and mixing that brought these two dishes together. When the stew was in the crock pot and the cake was in the oven, I stepped back and looked at the mess I had created. I also looked at the clock and realized how much of my day had been spent. In that moment I wished there was a way to cook without having to do all of the prep and cleanup.

Sometimes I feel this way about sharing the Word of God with others. Talking about the things of God is one of my favorite things to do. It can be extremely exciting to have that “God encounter” when we have the perfect conversation with someone who is hungry for the gospel. The sharing of God's love and knowing just how specifically He has used us in that moment can be exhilarating.

Do we always feel that way about the preparation time? Spending time studying God's Word, praying and listening to the Holy Spirit is a time to be cherished, but it is time consuming. Setting aside this time may interfere with other things that we would choose to put on our schedule. It is always valuable but it is not always easy. “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 AMP)

And what about the cleanup time? Often when we have shared scripture with someone, there is a time of discipleship that will follow. Are we willing to put in the time and effort to love a new believer? Are we willing to share the world with them walk with them through their trials and answer their questions? Again these are wonderful and fulfilling things to do but not always convenient to our schedule. The benefits are amazing but the work is not always easy.

Sometimes the preparation time is shortened. Today, as I made my stew, I chopped all the vegetables, seared the meat, mixed with gravy and combined everything and put it in the crockpot. On other occasions I have purchased a prepackaged mix of stew vegetables, mixed it with the meat and even used a premade gravy (when I can find one that does not have the additives we choose not to eat). Sometimes the words God leads me to share with someone, come straight from a message that I have heard from a preacher or pastor. This can be from a church service or another source of godly teaching. At these time it seems easy to share the word and see life reach the hearer. It's almost as if we get the benefits without doing the work. Jesus spoke of how some sow and others reap. “For in this the saying holds true, one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap a crop for which you have not toiled. Other men have labored and you have stepped in to reap the results of their work.” (John 4:37-38 AMP) In a sense, we are actually sowing what has already been sown into us.

There have been times when I am in a hurry and have left the kitchen less than clean. My husband has come home from work and cleaned the entire kitchen for me. When I return home later in the evening, I find everything washed and put away. My work ended with the cooking. Likewise there are times when God will put us into someone’s life to share a word of hope. That may be all we are called to do and another will come alongside to nurture the believer. God leads each of us to do our part in His perfect plan.

 Jesus, who is the word made flesh, (see John 1) is also called the bread of life. “[But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any] one may eat of it and never die.” (John 6:50 AMP) He is our spiritual food. We spent time learning of Him and then presenting Him to those we come in contact with. Sometimes this will be an ongoing process, such as cooking a meal from scratch and cleaning up afterwards. Other times we will operate as one of many workers God has placed in a person’s life. Whatever the situation we must love to learn God’s word and be ready to feed the spiritually hungry when opportunity arises. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter responded each time that he did. All three times Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep.” (see John 21:15 – 17) 

Have you spent time preparing to bring nourishment to a hungry world? Are you currently enjoying a feast with a friend? Will you be willing to do whatever the Father asks of you? Feed God’s sheep.