“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Chopped. Chopped is a reality based cooking television series that pits four chefs against each other competing for a chance to win $10,000. Their challenge is to take a mystery box of three to five ingredients and turn them into delectable dishes that are judged on their originality, presentation, and taste with minimal time to plan or execute the dish. The ingredients are often ones which are not commonly prepared together. After each round the judges critique the dishes and decide which chef is “chopped”, and eliminated from the competition. What I really like about this show are the off-the-wall ingredients that are in the baskets and the befuddled, yet determined, looks of the chefs’ faces as they try to figure out how to cook up a culinary feast out of exotic, unfamiliar cuisine.
The premise of the show Chopped reminds me of the Christian faith walk. There are times in life when every believer is presented with a mystery box of bewildering ingredients which tests your faith and you wonder how anything good could emerge out of it. Have you ever been faced with unforeseen circumstances and all you could do was look up to heaven in wonderment and say, “What is this?”, “Why is this happening?” or “Lord have mercy on my soul!” Have you discovered that following Jesus is not without its surprise basket of mystery ingredients? Of course, He is not surprised at the circumstances, tests or trials that life throws our way. He knows that whatever you are facing is only temporary and subject to change at any moment because He is in control. God does not panic or abandon us when we find ourselves in the wilderness or when obstacles or challenges confront us. It may be that from time to time, God personally arranges to have all of our faith levels tested out in Him.
If we view the ingredients in our basket as obstacles,life becomes demanding and stressful. If we view them as an opportunity to stretch our faith and grow in grace, life becomes extraordinary. All of us savor the ‘good’ things in life, but we must also savor life’s unexpected challenges by treating them as opportunities that will foster growth and not as problems that obstruct progress. If your vehicle breaks down when you are driving, enjoy your surroundings while you are there, regardless of whether they are ugly or beautiful. If you find yourself sick and in the hospital, find the strength to pray for someone else. You cannot always control the external world – but your internal world is in your hands.
Smith Wigglesworth had a very catchy saying. He said, “From great fights will come great faith.” In other words, you cannot develop great faith in the Lord unless you first have had your faith tested and developed with some great struggles. At the end of every test and fight, God will work something far greater than you could have ever imagined and it will be umm, umm GOOD!
Prayer: Sovereign God, I thank You that no matter what life may bring my way I find comfort in the fact that ALL things work together for my good. Help me not to allow tests and trials to hinder my faith or cause me to doubt You. I know that You are in control and will see me through every valley and help me to navigate around every obstacle with joy and peace in my heart. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
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