Grilled Cheese

          

         “I’m mad,” my four-year-old stated simply.  “I wanted grilled cheese.”  I watched while he ate the lasagna I gave him for lunch.  Even though lasagna was normally a favorite dish, he ate it slowly and with very little pleasure.

            Christians sometimes find themselves in a similar situation.  We participate in an activity, hold an office, or even do a helpful act with less than a small amount of enthusiasm. It takes all the energy and will power we have to complete what is before us and often not without a bit of “murmuring” on the side! 

A small child may go to Sunday school because his parents insist.  He doesn’t really dislike the class, but would much rather be doing something else.  There were times when I heard my eight-year-old not only wishing, but asking if he could stay home to watch cartoons on Sunday morning, which was never been permitted.

            Teenagers may find themselves in a similar situation during the worship service or even during youth fellowship time.  There is nothing really wrong with either activity, but being somewhere else seems so much better.  A visit to the mall to shop for clothes, or even the chance to sleep in after a busy week, seems much more appealing.

            These situations are the same my son found himself in at the lunch table.  He really didn’t mind lasagna, but he would have preferred grilled cheese, so he didn’t eat it with much enthusiasm. We, as humans, often believe things are better on the other side of the fence.  Even though we want to do right by God, our feelings and emotions sometimes misdirect us. 

            We are called as Christians to obedience but it’s difficult to be obedient or enthusiastic when it means doing something we’d rather not be doing.  Sometimes it takes prayer to feel committed to a job or activity when you feel little or no enthusiasm.  Sometimes God gives us a task out of our comfort zone to prepare us for something else!

            In today’s world it’s easy to wish we were doing something else, instead of what we’ve been given.  There is so much else available.  But if you can give your all and put your heart in what you’re doing for God, there are bound to be blessings.  By serving with obedience and enthusiasm, no matter what venue: church, youth fellowship, a fund drive or any other God given ministry you will be guarding what has been entrusted to you by God.  It is here you’ll be able to enjoy both your “lasagna and grilled cheese!”

So I challenge you this week; prayerfully consider your role in church, at work and your daily life.  Are you “volunteering” for something you don’t want to do?  Have you prayed about it? Is there a way you could change circumstances so you could do it (or another task) with more enthusiasm?  You might even consider asking God to show you how you could use the talents He gave you in yet another way.  Be creative, even as you serve, and serve with a happy heart!