The Perfect Recipe Book

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I do not like cooking. Maybe it's because of the cleaning-up process afterward. Usually, I'm too tired to truly enjoy the meal. However, I try to be a good wife. I remember preparing to cook a dinner my husband requested one day. He had mentioned wanting a Korean-inspired meal. So like a good wife, I comply. I start looking for a recipe to make a delicious Korean dish. I then go to the store to get all my ingredients. When home I began to prepare my meal. Chopping peppers, Slicing chicken, steaming vegetables all the work going. I'm following this recipe closely. Why? Because the desired result requires it. When it was all done, We ate and enjoyed the meal as a family. I could say the desired results were fulfilled. I was thrilled when my husband stated the meal was good. I assured him that I heard him when he mentioned he wanted a Korean meal. He smiled and said," I said Caribbean." 

The success of any recipe is obedience. Well, the lesson I learned from my mistake is to carefully listen and then obey. We can have all the right ingredients, tools, and skills but if we aren't obedient to follow the steps we won't reach the desired result. If we desire to have a Christ-filled life then we must read the recipe book and obey the steps. The recipe book I'm speaking of here is The Holy Bible. Do you want to know the recipe for eternal life?  Or maybe a healthy Marriage?  Maybe how to raise a child? The pages of The Bible teach us how to have a healthy relationship with God first, and how to live among each other. If we don't love God right how can we love people right? God is love. To know God is to know love. This is demonstrated in the pages of the Bible. It shows us what's needed to have a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus has already laid the groundwork for us to have a relationship with Him. He's already made it available to us through His finished work on the cross. But do we know what is our role in everything? What's required to grow in our relationship with Christ? Let's look at the recipe together. Remember following the instructions is critical. There are so many important virtues in the Bible. Let's look at a few. 


A pinch of Faith

4 cups of Love

2 tbsp of Obedience 

Instructions: Stir until combined 


Since our recipe is coming from the Bible we should consider the inspirational scripture that supports with each ingredient. 

Faith - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 4:1-2).

This Scripture tells us that we are made right with God through our belief in Christ Jesus. He's our Lord, He leads us into His righteousness. We follow Him. When we do we are granted grace. Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve. The penalty for sin is death. Which is what we all deserve. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.  We need grace but it's only through Jesus Christ we have (grace) a second chance to get things right. 


Love- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. ' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ' There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).

We may struggle with loving some people, for whatever reason. But when we learn to love God properly with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength we learn to love others right. Having our hearts open to loving God helps us learn the true meaning of love. Love does something. The Bible consists of many examples of real love. The greatest example of love is Christ laying down His life for us.


Obedience- But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself. (James 1:22).

The writer of James is telling us it's not enough to have the Bible not living by the Bible. For us to say we have faith in Jesus Christ we must be exercising our faith in Him by living according to His Word. By being doers of the Word. Being obedient. Living out the Word is how we live a life pleasing to God. Please know that us trying to live right can't save us from sin, only through Christ Jesus can we be saved.  Living the Word shows our faith and commitment to God that we choose to be followers of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, the Son of God. 

With these ingredients working in us daily we become more of the disciple Christ desires us to be. Through this journey, Christ starts developing His attributes in us and the recipe keeps growing until Christ says we are complete.  As willing vessels, we surrender to His lead. With total obedience to God, we will reach His desired end for us, becoming His Masterpiece. 












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