Reason #769
Aaron used to work at Texas Roadhouse when he was in college. He told me about a technique they used to make the meat they served so tender and delicious. Before cooking it, they would tenderize it by using a jaccarder. I had never heard of such a thing before, so he bought one to show me how it works. The tool is a little stamp-like contraption with a bunch of tiny blades attached to the bottom. You press it down on the meat and the tiny blades cut through the meat to break apart any tough spots. Of course, never having known this option existed, I didn't realize steaks could be improved in that manner. Now, each time we grill out, we use the jaccarder to because tender meat beats the pants off of tough meat any day.
I finished the last week of my bible study tonight, and I have to say I feel like a tough piece of meat. You know, I never realized how much work I needed to do on my speech until I read this study. I actually thought I was doing good and had made vast improvements. Turns out, I have a ways to go. And so I've really been stretched and challenged over these past 7 weeks to make some changes in my life. I've been forced to admit some things about myself that I'm not particularly proud of, things that are ingrained and need to be "un-grained," and I've really tried to start working on these things. And although it seems like it should be an easy fix, it's not. Because I've been speaking for 25 years now, and that's a lot of years to build up bad speech habits. The good thing is, admitting is the first step, and let me just say now, I desperately need God's help with this one.
Yet I realized tonight that I've been going through my own "jaccarding" process. The Lord has used each study to show me things in my life that need changing, and He has begun piercing through the tough spots that are hard to chew. And although it has been an uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, process, I know it's valuable and beneficial. Sure, I could stay the way I am. I could refuse to change or do things differently, I could ignore the things God has brought to the surface and pretend they don't exist, or I could choose to deny them, overlook them, or be convicted about them and move on as if these things are fine. But the truth is, God refines us so that we look more like Him. What a tragedy it would be to refused to allow the Lord to remove the things that are not of Him, the things that do not please Him or reflect Him, and thus prevent ourselves from becoming more like Him. These things are brought to the surface for our own benefit, and for the benefit of those around us, so we should be thankful that God loves us enough to remove the things that are not of Him so that we can move even closer to Him.
Tender meat is better than tough meat, and tender people are better than tough ones, too. Tender hearts, tender spirits, tender words, and tender motives are most desirable, aren't they? And if we want to be tender people, it's going to take some work. A little cutting and a little piercing, but in the end, we'll be better for it.
#769 - Because He tenderizes us so we'll be better.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29
I finished the last week of my bible study tonight, and I have to say I feel like a tough piece of meat. You know, I never realized how much work I needed to do on my speech until I read this study. I actually thought I was doing good and had made vast improvements. Turns out, I have a ways to go. And so I've really been stretched and challenged over these past 7 weeks to make some changes in my life. I've been forced to admit some things about myself that I'm not particularly proud of, things that are ingrained and need to be "un-grained," and I've really tried to start working on these things. And although it seems like it should be an easy fix, it's not. Because I've been speaking for 25 years now, and that's a lot of years to build up bad speech habits. The good thing is, admitting is the first step, and let me just say now, I desperately need God's help with this one.
Yet I realized tonight that I've been going through my own "jaccarding" process. The Lord has used each study to show me things in my life that need changing, and He has begun piercing through the tough spots that are hard to chew. And although it has been an uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, process, I know it's valuable and beneficial. Sure, I could stay the way I am. I could refuse to change or do things differently, I could ignore the things God has brought to the surface and pretend they don't exist, or I could choose to deny them, overlook them, or be convicted about them and move on as if these things are fine. But the truth is, God refines us so that we look more like Him. What a tragedy it would be to refused to allow the Lord to remove the things that are not of Him, the things that do not please Him or reflect Him, and thus prevent ourselves from becoming more like Him. These things are brought to the surface for our own benefit, and for the benefit of those around us, so we should be thankful that God loves us enough to remove the things that are not of Him so that we can move even closer to Him.
Tender meat is better than tough meat, and tender people are better than tough ones, too. Tender hearts, tender spirits, tender words, and tender motives are most desirable, aren't they? And if we want to be tender people, it's going to take some work. A little cutting and a little piercing, but in the end, we'll be better for it.
#769 - Because He tenderizes us so we'll be better.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29