“For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life.”(2 Corinthians 2:15-16b Good News Translation)
Tuesday was a busy day. I started early in the morning with the daily meditation blog posting and by sending out the same publication via email to a growing list of individuals. Still early in the morning, I finished organizing my paperwork to take to my tax-preparer. Being too early to drive to the accounting firm to take the taxes, I paid my monthly bills over the phone. If you want to be stressed, just a little, do your taxes and pay your bills on the same day. After coffee and a little breakfast, a shower, and dressing, I head out the house.
To save time, I go to the grocery store and pick up a few things, including a round roast, so I think, for dinner. I go to the CPA firm location and see that they moved to a new location, further northeast of where they were located last year. The firm’s new location was close to an area where I could make three quick stops; stops at Bath & Body, a donut shop, and a home décor store. Yes, I brought something at each. I’m robbing myself of adequate cooking time for my roast. It was probably tired of riding around with me, but it did not say a word. Smile!
I finally get home and immediately start preparing the round roast for the crockpot. I cut up carrots and onions, put in some small potatoes, and some fresh, long green beans. I season the meat with five different secret seasonings. Since it was about noon, I turned the crock pot on high. I typically would cook it for eight hours, but I only had a little over four hours before dinner time. The aroma could be smelled all over the house.
Just wait now! I’m getting to the point I am supposed to make this morning. Just before dinner time, a delivery person shows up at the front door. My wife answers the door, and the delivery person is standing outside; never stepped a foot in the house. I’m watching and listening on the security camera system in the house. She says, “I smell something good. Are you cooking oxtail or goat? Sure would like some!” My wife was ready to make her a plate, but she said she could not take it.
When dinner time came, my wife asked, “What type of meat is this, pork or possibly oxtail?” I quickly said, “No. It’s a beef roast.” The conversation continues, “Are you sure it is not oxtail or goat?” Trying to convince myself, I stick with my story, “No it’s beef. I brought it in the beef section. I would NEVER eat oxtail of goat.” To be truthful it did have me wondering if I picked up the right meat, without checking the label thoroughly. I asked myself, “Was I not diligent, or was I guilty of just trying to “quick shop” to get the food home for cooking?”
Long story short, the meat looked done, but it was tough. We ate it, but we had to cut it in small pieces. My wife was being kind in complimenting my cooking. However, I was aware that the roast would have been more tender if I had taken my time shopping and selecting the meat.
Now, finally, here is the long awaited point. Just as I should have checked out my purchase and what I was going to consume; just as I should have spent more time reading the label attached on the meat package, believers need to take more time in looking at the word of God so they will be sure to get the right meaning of the Lord’s message to us. We have to be sure that we are digesting what the word says, being absolutely sure, completely confident that what we got out of our study was accurate and we do not end up unsure and questioning whether we got it right. Also, as a side note, we must allow enough time for the word to “cook,” rather than speed reading and coming up with a content that is entirely different than what we were intended to get, or wanted to get. We want to come out with the real meat of the word, not some figurative oxtail or goat meat. We need to get the “beef,” the real meat of the word, so that there will be no doubt when believers smell the fragrance and sense the aroma produced by our living out the true essence of the word that we have read.
Don’t be in a rush to arrive at conclusions! Don’t just grab something without checking it out! Getting the word right makes a great difference for you and for others. Living out the word we get will have others come up with the proper assessment of what they sense from your aroma. Last point. My “roast” smelled good to the delivery person, but it did not lead her to a certain, true conclusion. Her senses were unsure! Getting the word right and living the word right, will help people arrive at a meaningful, accurate, profitable conclusion.
If this story was too long or too hard to follow, forgive me. As an alternative, simply follow the admonishment in the closing verse. Be blessed!
“Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 Amplified Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King