At the beginning of the year, I was inspired to create a concoction I thought would be healthy. It was a combination of cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and lemon juice. One morning, I heated a cup and sipped on it as I was spending time in prayerful meditation. The first sips of the steaming brew were good. I could taste the juice and honey, with only a hint of tangy vinegar. But I got caught up in my prayer time, and left the cup on the end table. By the time I got around to taking another swig, the drink was cold. Yuck! The potent taste of vinegar pricked my tongue. It was as if the honey had evaporated.
It reminded me of two truths. The first is the bitter can taste sweet if it is the right temperature. Wrapped in love, instruction, correction, and even punishment can be well-received. Surrounded by encouragement, a person can overcome many obstacles. Cloaked in God's Spirit, a Christian can endure hardships with joy. In these instances, the warmth of the environment make the undesirable more palatable. By the same token, the second truth is illustrated in this situation. Harsh manners, isolation, and disconnected hearts can take the same mixture of life and bring the bitter to the forefront: Resentment, self-pity, worldly mindsets. The concoction is the same, but the coldness of constitution enhances the negative.
While there are some environments that we cannot control, we always have the ability to determine our spiritual temperature. Are we tasting the sweet? Then we're likely staying warmed by God's Spirit. Are we puckered with prune faces over the bitter? Then we may need to evaluate if we have left spiritual matters unattended, thus allowing our hearts to grow cold. Today's a good day to "Taste and see that the Lord is good," (Psalm 34:8) for His presence is sweet any time of the year.
Tip/Tidbit: Take a minute to rehearse your recent thoughts. Are they entrenched in anger, unforgiveness, criticism, lust, or blame? Is there a struggle to indicate you're trying to overcome, a fight against old mindsets, or an effort to defeat negative thinking? Do your thoughts say you are willing to let go of wrongs, willing to forgive the bruising, willing to wish the best for/to others, quick to recognize the good? Are your thoughts sweet, flowing with love, compassion, concern? Make an effort to connect with God, the Sweetener of life, today.
It reminded me of two truths. The first is the bitter can taste sweet if it is the right temperature. Wrapped in love, instruction, correction, and even punishment can be well-received. Surrounded by encouragement, a person can overcome many obstacles. Cloaked in God's Spirit, a Christian can endure hardships with joy. In these instances, the warmth of the environment make the undesirable more palatable. By the same token, the second truth is illustrated in this situation. Harsh manners, isolation, and disconnected hearts can take the same mixture of life and bring the bitter to the forefront: Resentment, self-pity, worldly mindsets. The concoction is the same, but the coldness of constitution enhances the negative.
While there are some environments that we cannot control, we always have the ability to determine our spiritual temperature. Are we tasting the sweet? Then we're likely staying warmed by God's Spirit. Are we puckered with prune faces over the bitter? Then we may need to evaluate if we have left spiritual matters unattended, thus allowing our hearts to grow cold. Today's a good day to "Taste and see that the Lord is good," (Psalm 34:8) for His presence is sweet any time of the year.
Tip/Tidbit: Take a minute to rehearse your recent thoughts. Are they entrenched in anger, unforgiveness, criticism, lust, or blame? Is there a struggle to indicate you're trying to overcome, a fight against old mindsets, or an effort to defeat negative thinking? Do your thoughts say you are willing to let go of wrongs, willing to forgive the bruising, willing to wish the best for/to others, quick to recognize the good? Are your thoughts sweet, flowing with love, compassion, concern? Make an effort to connect with God, the Sweetener of life, today.
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