“Donuts aren’t worth much when the jelly is gone.”
My mother, who was nearing the age of 91 looked down at the fragment of her treat that was covered with powdered sugar and handed the plate it was sitting on back in my direction.
She loved jelly donuts and I always got her one when I came home for a visit. This time, however, she chose to leave what was left of the treat and refused to eat any part that didn’t contain the jelly in the center. “It’s the best part” she'd always exclaim, which made me smile as I watched her savor each gooey bite.
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?” Matthew 5:13 - (The Message)
My dear mama’s musings about the worthlessness of a donut without the jelly got me thinking about how important it is for the “flavor” of our Christianity to be tasted by everyone that we come in contact with.
Those that we meet every day should be able to recognize something different, something special, something out of the ordinary when they have an encounter with us…no matter where we are, who we meet, or what circumstance we find ourselves in.
Sadly, there’s often very little “jelly” in the lives of many who claim to have had an experience with the living God.
The tastelessness of a bland relationship with the Almighty shows through in ways that might often cause someone to want to return “the plate” with the remnants of what they didn’t enjoy still on it.
How tragic, that so often the world might not even recognize that Christianity should be more fulfilling than anything else the world has to offer.
Salt, light, jelly…it’s all the same.
If we don’t bring flavor into the lives of others, we may need to question our experience with the One who created us for that purpose.
What kind of Christ-like "flavors" are you bringing into other people's lives today?
Have a great day and God bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word
