Welcome to Weekly Topic Saturdays!
Hello all, I pray that your week was filled with joy and love. Welcome back to those who have been with me here at A Golden Dream. For my first-timers, a great big hello there, if you haven't already please check out my previous posts when you get a chance.
Please don't hesitate to join the conversation, there are no right or wrong answers or questions. I'm not proclaiming to know everything, I am simply just discussing and picking topics on things that I personally have gone through and that I know would help someone.
By now you all should know that I love a good analogy. This week’s Motivational Mondays topic was Microwave Ready. We discussed living in a microwave society that needs instant gratification and the need to always get things done quickly. We also discussed having a lack of endurance and how to overcome having a microwave mentality. This week’s Weekly Topic Saturday we will be keeping with the theme of kitchen appliance analogies. With that being said, I present to you, Oven Ready!
What Comes to mind when I mention Oven-Ready?
Compared to Microwave Ready, what is Oven Ready?
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:8-9
By way of definition Oven Ready means to be bought already prepared so that it can be ready to cook in the oven.
-Dictionary.com
What do you sacrifice when using the oven?
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5: 15-17
One thing that we sacrifice when we use the oven is time. Let’s talk about it. Time is precious. Time is something that we are very limited on while here on earth. So how we spend our time is key. God watches and observes what we spend our time on while we are here. He watches to see how we use our resources and, much like we discussed in Your Body Is An Investment, how well we take care of our bodies. The time that we spend, once used, cannot be given back. That is why it is so important to be Mindful because Our Choices Have Power. We cannot go back into time to change things and we cannot go into the future to see how things turn out.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:13-15
When we use the oven to cook our food we are sacrificing our time. When we prepare our meals from scratch we are sacrificing our time. This is not a bad thing. God is checking for quality not quantity. He wants to know if we put in our best effort, did we do all we could do, did we use the fruits of the spirit while doing it, and so on. Like I mentioned in Microwave Ready, we have become so accustomed to getting things instantly that most do not have the patience required to cook anymore because it is more convenient to have things right away.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
We want God to hurry up and bless us so that we can have that instant gratification and it does not work in that manner. God cannot be rushed, remember he has the master plan, much like we discussed in Hindsight Being 20/20, God moves in His own perfect timing which may not always match with ours. It is slow and methodical. It takes time for him to mold us and bake us the way that he sees fit because we are stubborn and some of us refuse to rise even though we are under the proper heat and in the right environment. I am talking about myself here too. We allow fear to step in because we are afraid of the unknown and we are afraid of things that we cannot understand. Even though the bible tells us to lean not unto our own understanding. We compromise ourselves much like we do our food by opening the oven too soon. We think that if we can just peek inside to see how the process is coming along it will hurry along the process. Instead, all we are doing is disrupting the environment and causing the heat to be released. What does this say about our patience level when we are waiting on God to reveal things to us? I am guilty of this because just like everyone else I want answers, and I want to see the outcomes right then and there. What I am learning is that I have to start adopting a slow cooker mentality.
Do you have a slow cooker mentality/ spirituality?
What is a slow cooker spirituality?
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11
By now you may be wondering what I mean by a slow cooker mentality, or a slow cooker spirit. As you may know, a slow cooker or a crockpot is an electric pot that is meant to cook dishes slowly as a means to develop the flavors to their maximum potential while tenderizing at the same time. Having a slow cooker spirit is just the same as being a Christain or a Disciple for Christ, it is a slow long process that is meant to develop us to our fullest potential. Being on this journey to being a Christian is a very long and hard road but it is a rewarding one if we do it properly. Much like waiting for your meal to come out of the oven or crockpot is rewarding, getting into heaven and receiving the promises that God has promised us is just as rewarding. The worst thing that we can do is get impatient and lift the lid, or give up on the process of Christianity before God tells us that it's time.
How many of you have opened the lid to your oven too soon?
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
Let’s talk about what all goes into preparing a meal. You have to choose a recipe, gather the ingredients, meal prep the ingredients, and then cook the dish. This all takes time but the reward is the quality of what you created. When God does anything he takes his time to make sure that what he creates is of the most excellent quality. Having a slow cooker spirit is something that is special because there is always a purpose and careful consideration when you slow cook anything because it takes longer and more effort during this process. This is the exact opposite of what we talked about in our Motivational Monday post this week. People who have a microwave mentality need a quick fix and instant gratification. They want to get the Holy Ghost on Sunday and then on Monday they are diving headfirst into sin following the trends of the world because what they are learning on Sunday is not penetrating deep within the spirit.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
James 1:26
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:1
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Matthew 15:7-9
Y’all Still With Me!
Okay, Good!
We have to get into the habit of engaging in the Word of God on a daily basis so that we can soak up all that he has to give and bestow upon us. When you have the slow cooker spirit the ingredients of the Fruits of the Spirit, mustard seed of active faith, humbleness, extracts of the Whole Armor of God, and the element of being a Living Sacrifice must take time to soak into the spirit and marinate leaving a long lasting and flavorful impact. With God, there are no shortcuts. You cannot trick God. Many people have grown so used to putting on a facade in front of others so that they can be perceived in a certain light. They try desperately to make others think that they are what they are not. God sees through all of that, he knows your heart and he knows what your truest intentions are. There are no get-out-of-jail free cards, you have to come correct with God otherwise you are only damaging the relationship with him. There are too many people in the church who claim that they are living for God and living a Christian life, but in reality, they only want to live that life on Sunday or when it is convenient for them. Having this kind of microwave mentality really cripples and hinders the spirit. Why? It’s because God does not do things halfway, remember that he takes us through a process that is meant to test our faith so that we can come out in the best quality and more equipt in the end.
Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:2-5
Questions To Consider:
Do you have a microwave mentality? Do you need things to be instant and quick? Do you become restless because you're tired of waiting?
Are you Oven Ready? Can you take the time to gather the necessary ingredients, prep the food, cook the food, and properly distribute the food according to God’s will. Food I mean The Word of God, your purpose, your calling, or ministry.
What will it take for you to eat as God eats?
With Love, know that there is a huge difference between having a microwave mentality and a slow cooker oven-ready spirit. We all have fallen into the habit of wanting instant gratification especially with the rapid pace of technology increasing these days. Breaking this mindset is not easily done because it takes time, patience, and a true willingness to change. Having a slow cooker oven-ready spirit is deeper than the outer layer. We have to let all of those ingredients of the Fruits of the Spirit, mustard seed of active faith, humbleness, extracts of the Whole Armor of God, and the element of being a Living Sacrifice soak deep down in our spirit and marinate before we can be placed in the oven to rise and become the people that God has called for us to be. Remember God cannot be rushed, It is all in His perfect timing! Slow-Cooked and Oven Baked to Perfection!
~Just Breathe...A Golden Dream~
Amen.