Good Ingredients

Pam Otto, GFC Lutz

My Mom was known as a great baker and reputable cook who often fiddled around in her cozy kitchen, otherwise known as her “Happy Place”. I have fond memories of her standing by the kitchen counter, flipping through her favorite recipes or stirring a variety of ingredients together to make a tasty meal or sweet treat. When asked about her well-known cooking skills, she’d often say that “Good ingredients matter!” She made it clear that you need to use real butter, or sifted flour, or good chocolate, or the best cut of meat for certain recipes. Her attention to the details and good ingredients in the kitchen paid off for those of us that got to taste her food.

As I’ve thought about all the details my Mom paid attention to when baking, I began to consider the ‘good ingredients’ that I was focusing on in my own life. What am I adding in order to produce good and favorable results in my heart, mind, and soul? Am I living on leftovers from a few days ago, or am I filling up on good, new, and fresh inspiration from God?

What are some of the non-negotiable ingredients that are needed to produce the best results in our spiritual lives? What will make a difference not only for each of us, but for those around us? Is the fruit in our lives noticeable or could it possibly be a bit moldy?

Here are a few ingredients that, once applied and stirred around, will likely produce good and beneficial results:

1. A Teachable Heart
When we have an open and soft heart, we are in a position to receive wisdom from God and others. Ask yourself… Am I ready and willing to grow and change? Am I teachable?

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. Prov. 1:5

2. A Focused Mind
When we are hungry for God, we aim to fix our mind on Him. Hebrews 12:2 says that when we keep our thoughts fixed on Jesus, He promises to guard our heart and mind and bring our faith to maturity.

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal. Hebrews 12:2

3. Listening Ears
The Listening habit is one that requires time to quiet our hearts and linger in the stillness in order to hear and embrace all that God may have for us. Whose voice am I listening to? Am I truly spending time to hear from God rather than telling God what I’d like Him to do?

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

So, next time you’re in your kitchen cooking or mixing things together baking a tasty dessert, think about these ingredients of being teachable, having a mind fixed on Jesus, and having listening ears as some items that, when added together, can grow your faith.

What is your appetite for spiritual growth? Are you hungry to grow?

What ingredients have you found to be key for your growth and faith journey?