Tasty?

I went to a meeting at Starbucks this morning and hadn't had breakfast. Trying to get back into a little bit of shape these days, so I stared warily but wantingly at the goodies in the case of baked goods as the barista pulled my drink. Then my eyes crossed the wraps and breakfast sandwiches. I selected a breakfast wrap that looked part healthy-ish (hey - it had egg whites AND spinach, so it can't be TOO bad, right?), and took my seat.

In a minute they handed me the wrap and my drink, and I read through email as I ate. The wrap was piping hot, so I stuck one end out of the sack, wrapped it in a napkin, and kicked back. Gotta say, wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible, either. Hot, high-protein, healthy stuff... Okay, I'll deal with it.

After a minute I looked over at what was left of my wrap and realized I'd eaten part of the sack! ...I even took a bite of the NAPKIN! Talk about getting your fiber!

I laughed and looked around a little embarrassed. Then it hit me - how BLAND does it have to be for a meal to be indistinguishable from a paper bag and a recycled-paper napkin!? Well, that pretty much ended breakfast :)

Let me ask you a question: when someone sees your life, is it distinguishable from the world enough to seem remotely desirable? Is the Christ Life represented as being no more appealing that a diet-version of the worldly life - tasteless but good for you?

The Bible says we are to taste and see that the Lord is good. We as believers should never be curmudgeons - living with a scowl - because even what is sour in this life is made sweet in light of the sovereignty and graciousness of God's goodness.

Scripture also says our conversation - how we taste to OTHERS - should be full of grace and seasoned with salt, so we know how to give an answer to everyone. I'm not a formula kinda guy, but that's an awesome prescription for how we are to respond to others: "Full of grace... Seasoned with salt". When others speak with us, they should taste the goodness of God, but also notice the difference - the contrast of preservation and seasoning that Christ provides.

So, life with Christ should taste GREAT to believers, distinguishable from the world, and interaction with Christians should make that contrast - goodness and uniqueness - obvious and appealing and challenging.

But there is another taste we need to be able to distinguish according to God's love letter to His kids. Jesus told the Church that if we are neither hot nor cold - we aren't on fire for Him or even struggling with our life with Him - but just neutral, luke-warm believers, He finds us pretty distasteful. In fact, the word in Scripture often translated as "spews us out" in this passage is more like "vomits with velocity". How's that for a word picture for tastelessness?

"Hey, JC - how does luke warm Christianity taste?"

"Y'know - it makes me wanna vomit with velocity, actually."

Can you think of a more distasteful phrase? I can't.

Does your life seem tasteless? Is your day-to-day experience distinguishable from others who do not have or know Christ as Life?

What would it look like for you to live a life full of grace and seasoned with salt?

When Jesus Christ is your Source, when you realize you already have everything you need for daily life and for spiritual triumph and your persistent experience (2 Peter 1:3) true freedom, radical availability, and unforeseen adventure and joy are the result.

Today, let's join in prayer that our Father's ridiculous grace will overwhelm our senses, that the sweet aroma of Christ and the incredible taste of the goodness of God will be the appeal and challenge of believers and unbelievers alike to experience a life much less ordinary, full of divine flavor, and erupting with something otherworldly for His renown.

...to the praise of His ridiculous grace!