Refined
I went with my co-worker on an out trip to a large outlet mall. We shopped for a couple of hours and then went to get something to eat at a restaurant. We were brought 3 menus a piece and it wasn't long before the waitress asked for our order. We needed more time to go over everything. There was so much to choose from, I just quickly decided on a hamburger to let the anguish go. How can you mess up with a hamburger?
We received our food after some time and it looked appetizing enough. I cut my burger in half before taking a bite. It was juicy, seemingly fresh, but there was something familiar about it that didn't make me stop eating it. After about the fourth bite, I realized that the chef makes hamburgers like my mother used to...only, my Mom made hamburgers on a shoe string budget. Often there were fillers in the burgers and they were always fried in the grease of the other burgers. I didn't know any better. I was a child. When we became older, the budget increased and we no longer had to eat the-filler-meat when making meals. But this was a restaurant...a well known restaurant. Why was their meat of such low quality? My stomach was beginning to churn. When the waitress came back to ask if I needed a box to take home the left overs, I declined.
I explained to my co-worker what was going on. She replied, "you have a developed palette and your taste has become refined." I thought that was so eloquent and the next day, I thought of this blog.
Have you ever realized that your circle of friends have changed. If they haven't, have you ever wondered why? We are not the same as we were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, a month ago, last week. We have changed our hair styles based upon likes and changes in our body proportions, what enhances our assets and even based on what others have complimented us with the most. We don't eat candy as often because of experience, knowledge, and finding alternatives for better health. So why then when dating, we find the same sort of person that gravitates toward us or we toward them. Don't we know better? Haven't we been more refined so not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again? How is everything else in our lives have changed except the person we have been socializing with. Have we become a glutton for punishment? Is God trying to tell us something?
A man having been raised in the poorer sections of a village, made good having finished his education and landing the best job he has ever had. He moved his parents into better living conditions and purchased an upscale condo for himself. He took classes on how to be sociable with his new socio-economic status. He was pleased with himself until he received a call from his mother. She hated where she was living. She did not like the people around her. His father had similar complaints only difference was that he preferred being in the "old country". What happened? Why could they not enjoy the better lifestyle that they always spoke of all while raising their children?
Could your palette be refined in these cases as well? Once you find better things in life, don't you pursue those better things? Do you concern yourself about what others would think about you if you did? There is one thing I recall that T.D. Jakes preached that is quite apropos here: He said, "How can you take me some place that you have never been?" Meaning, they don't know what God has for you and for the most part, you could not explain it to them. If T.D. Jakes told his family and friends all that God told that was in store for him, do you think he would be there today? Joseph and his brothers did teach that lesson profoundly. Do you think Joseph didn't refine his palette? When do you think he made this decision: when they were going to sell him as a slave or when they were trying to kill him?
God is selecting His peculiar nation based on how we live. He tells us to walk in the Spirit so not to fulfill the lust of the flesh. He tells us to think on good things. He tells us to follow Him because His burden is easy and yoke is light. He tells us to be holy because He is. If we have not refined our lives to incorporate these things, what makes any of us think that He will tolerate us in heaven. Seriously? He says we have to be hot or cold or He will spew us out of His mouth. Have you ever wondered what happens to anything spewed out of God's mouth? I am thinking that it becomes a part of His foot stool. Selah.
In dating, the guide lines have been made crystal clear. There is no trying to waffle over to do something that compromises what Christianity is. Understand bending God's boundaries creates problems for yourself. If not in your spouse then it will be in your children. We see these things over and over again in the Old Testament. The Old Testament was a life style of trial and error. We no longer have to reinvent the wheel. It works! Stop trying to mess with it. No, we cannot treat people like crap and then expect sunshine and roses to be our outlook in life ...not without sincere repentance and asking forgiveness. Is this news? Seriously?
We received our food after some time and it looked appetizing enough. I cut my burger in half before taking a bite. It was juicy, seemingly fresh, but there was something familiar about it that didn't make me stop eating it. After about the fourth bite, I realized that the chef makes hamburgers like my mother used to...only, my Mom made hamburgers on a shoe string budget. Often there were fillers in the burgers and they were always fried in the grease of the other burgers. I didn't know any better. I was a child. When we became older, the budget increased and we no longer had to eat the-filler-meat when making meals. But this was a restaurant...a well known restaurant. Why was their meat of such low quality? My stomach was beginning to churn. When the waitress came back to ask if I needed a box to take home the left overs, I declined.
I explained to my co-worker what was going on. She replied, "you have a developed palette and your taste has become refined." I thought that was so eloquent and the next day, I thought of this blog.
Have you ever realized that your circle of friends have changed. If they haven't, have you ever wondered why? We are not the same as we were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, a month ago, last week. We have changed our hair styles based upon likes and changes in our body proportions, what enhances our assets and even based on what others have complimented us with the most. We don't eat candy as often because of experience, knowledge, and finding alternatives for better health. So why then when dating, we find the same sort of person that gravitates toward us or we toward them. Don't we know better? Haven't we been more refined so not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again? How is everything else in our lives have changed except the person we have been socializing with. Have we become a glutton for punishment? Is God trying to tell us something?
A man having been raised in the poorer sections of a village, made good having finished his education and landing the best job he has ever had. He moved his parents into better living conditions and purchased an upscale condo for himself. He took classes on how to be sociable with his new socio-economic status. He was pleased with himself until he received a call from his mother. She hated where she was living. She did not like the people around her. His father had similar complaints only difference was that he preferred being in the "old country". What happened? Why could they not enjoy the better lifestyle that they always spoke of all while raising their children?
Could your palette be refined in these cases as well? Once you find better things in life, don't you pursue those better things? Do you concern yourself about what others would think about you if you did? There is one thing I recall that T.D. Jakes preached that is quite apropos here: He said, "How can you take me some place that you have never been?" Meaning, they don't know what God has for you and for the most part, you could not explain it to them. If T.D. Jakes told his family and friends all that God told that was in store for him, do you think he would be there today? Joseph and his brothers did teach that lesson profoundly. Do you think Joseph didn't refine his palette? When do you think he made this decision: when they were going to sell him as a slave or when they were trying to kill him?
God is selecting His peculiar nation based on how we live. He tells us to walk in the Spirit so not to fulfill the lust of the flesh. He tells us to think on good things. He tells us to follow Him because His burden is easy and yoke is light. He tells us to be holy because He is. If we have not refined our lives to incorporate these things, what makes any of us think that He will tolerate us in heaven. Seriously? He says we have to be hot or cold or He will spew us out of His mouth. Have you ever wondered what happens to anything spewed out of God's mouth? I am thinking that it becomes a part of His foot stool. Selah.
In dating, the guide lines have been made crystal clear. There is no trying to waffle over to do something that compromises what Christianity is. Understand bending God's boundaries creates problems for yourself. If not in your spouse then it will be in your children. We see these things over and over again in the Old Testament. The Old Testament was a life style of trial and error. We no longer have to reinvent the wheel. It works! Stop trying to mess with it. No, we cannot treat people like crap and then expect sunshine and roses to be our outlook in life ...not without sincere repentance and asking forgiveness. Is this news? Seriously?
Comments