Instructions... Guess Work or Gods Work?

I can't boast about my culinary skill, because I just don't have the natural ability to get around in a kitchen and "whip" something up. I am one of those people who lacks the imagination to throw something together. My sister on the other hand can make a gourmet meal out of a handful of ingredients and feed a family of 5.

Sadly enough I am the kind of person who needs directions, a recipe to follow because without them I haven't got a clue. Unless it's something I can bake, fry, grill or throw together in a crock pot, I am sure it would turn into a disaster. I won't guess at anything when it comes to the kitchen... or living my life the way God intended me to.

As a young girl, I was an accomplished seamstress under the diligent guidance of a loving mother who insisted I was the best at this craft, mainly because she was the teacher. The result of my time and effort that was put forth into "getting it just right" had earned me many awards and recognition. (This is not what was important, this was just a fringe benefit.) I had to learn the ground rules which included learning the simple steps in order to advance. Without these first steps, I would not have been able to accomplish much.

This is true of anything and everything in life. If directions are not followed correctly and in the proper sequence, the end result will miss the mark. If just one step is ignored, one small ingredient left out it will most likely turn into a disaster. Disasters lead to consequences. Consequences will always lead us to wishing we had followed the directions in the first place. Consequences are what will last even after we've learned our lesson.

"Practice makes perfect". How many times have we heard that one? It's true though, not only does it bring perfection, it also brings confidence because of the experience. This holds true of our daily living. When we live a life with all the right ingredients and follow the critical steps that lead to success, it will result in something perfect, beautiful and complete. Even if we slip and make mistakes along the way, as long as we are striving to complete it the right way, we can't help but be happy in the end. Not only will we feel good about our attempts, but God will also see the motives that led us to this point. He isn't expecting us to be perfect, just the intentions we have.

Bread for instance, is a skill that I have not ever attempted to do. But in order for it to raise it requires one very important ingredient or else it will be a blob of dough. The very small but important ingredient is yeast. It's alive and active. It's similar to the human soul. Christ is like the yeast that activates our lives into rising above and beyond our own expectations. Without Christ Who is the main ingredient in our lives, we would be a blob of dough. God gives us the recipe and tells us all the ingredienets we need in order to become a success in the end. Not a success in this life, but in the life to come.

It doesn't require money, education, status, influence, power, fame or any of these things. Well, what does it take you may ask to be a success? It takes the knowledge of God's Word. Know it, live it, and do not let it go.

"Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life." Prov. 4:13 (KJV)

God's instruction in His Word throughout His recipe book called the Bible is full of foolproof recipes. Unlike any other recipe book, He will even tell you how it will work out if you don't follow it correctly. He will let you know what a disaster you will have on your hands if you choose to skip over some of the directions. In this case, if you miss the mark, it will result in death. Missing the mark is sin and sin brings about defeat.

But, the good news is that when God's instructions are followed correctly it will result in a prize winning product. You are that prize winning product when you allow Christ to rise in your soul. When you allow Him to be the main ingredient in your life, even though you may make mistakes, He will always bring you throu