Piping Hot

by Alli

Food that is supposed to be served hot should be served piping hot, in my opinion!  It’s the way my mom did it when I was growing up.  We ate dinner (supper to us southerners) every night at 5:30 sharp, as soon as my dad got home from work.  And the food would be placed on the table piping hot.

piping-hot

I’ve had friends who, when preparing dinner, cooked one food at a time.  And something always ended up stone cold. I was taught to make sure everything came together at the same time.

I often see my son-in-law and one of my son’s  fanning their food before eating.  Some people like for their food to cool down a bit.  Not me!  As soon as I know it won’t burn my tongue, I’m all in.  It’s a family tradition.

This piping hot tradition tends to spill over into every area of my life.  I don’t believe in doing things half way.  It’s all or nothing for me.  One meaning of the word mediocre means half way up the mountain.

Even God, in His word, said he would rather us be really hot or really cold (Revelation 3:15-17).  I choose hot!

Do you remember the word I chose for 2014?   My word is love.  I want to be piping hot in my love walk.  Since faith is motivated by love, I know that my faith won’t work if my love walk isn’t working.

One aspect of walking in love is walking in forgiveness.  The Bible teaches that unless we forgive, the Lord won’t forgive us.  I don’t know about you, but that’s motivation enough for me to walk in forgiveness.

Holding on to baggage like unforgiveness and offence only hurts the person that’s holding on.  In order to be piping hot for God, we have to let it all go.  Give it to Him!  He cares for us.

Hebrews 12: 1-2 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,

2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you need to forgive someone today?  Please don’t hold on to it any longer and let it fester, spread and grow roots!  Life’s too short!  Refusing to forgive hurts you, not the person that you are holding the grudge against!  Let go and let God!