Reality, Stress, Scripture

 

I'm a little stressed. Truth is that it's just silly. For a long time, people would tell me that they liked my homemade rolls. My grandkids love them. I think they are good. I made them for church Wednesday night meals. One time I made several extra for several Wednesdays so the youth could sell them as a fund raiser. Now I have a sort of new church family. It's the church I grew up in but was gone for over 40 years then came back. About a year ago we had a church meal, and I decided to take rolls. It was the first and only time I've made bread for my new church. I don't know what happened. Maybe the flour was old. It's possible that I stock piled flour during Covid. 🤔 They weren't pretty. Now to be clear, my rolls have never been the pretty kind. They are more the taste good kind. So, I'm using "pretty" in a loose definition. They didn't rise like they were supposed to, and they weren't very good. One sweet lady told me that she really liked my "biscuits." They did look more like biscuits than rolls, but as anyone who bakes knows, there's a difference between yeast rolls and quick bread biscuits. We are having another church meal tomorrow and I volunteered to bring bread. I said I would make rolls but now I'm stressed because I'm afraid they will be as bad as the last ones. I'm thinking I may make loaves of bread, that I can make today then reheat tomorrow. But either way, I'm afraid that I will feel embarrassed again. But if I make the loaves today and they turn out terrible, I can still go to the store and buy frozen rolls for tomorrow. 

I'm wondering what words of encouragement scripture has for me in this situation. I'm chuckling as I think that the Passover meal was unleavened, so my last fiasco wasn't a bad thing at all. But really, what does scripture say about being concerned about what others think? What is the true purpose of fellowship? Should we worry about the things we eat? What do I need to learn from this situation?

1 Kings 17:8-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.” 13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty, and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.” 15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.

Faith and obedience. That's what we see in the widow in Zarephath. It wasn't about baking something pretty or tasty. It wasn't about impressing Elijah. It was about believing the words that God spoke to and through Elijah and doing what God told her to do. The Sunday School class I attend is responsible for providing the meal tomorrow. I was late for Sunday School so others had already volunteered for the other components of the meal. All that was left was bread. I know I can make bread, so I shouldn't feel uncomfortable about bringing what is needed. I need to believe that if God has given me a skill, then it is to be used for His purposes, and obey Him by serving others in the ways He allows me to. I need to have faith in Him that even if the bread is flat and tastes terrible, that He will use it in the way He intended. 

Galatians 1:10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

I know I'm taking this verse slightly out of context, something that I often say we shouldn't do. I have made people mad at me for sharing the gospel with them, for showing them that their beliefs are not consistent with scripture, and other similar ways. I believe I said those things because God laid it on my heart. I have no regrets about it. But many of those people still hold bitterness toward me because of it. I bet no one even remembers how terrible my rolls were the last time I brought them. It makes no difference at all if people are pleased or displeased with the rolls. What matters is, is God pleased with my heart? 

Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

I have read that there's a difference between entertaining and showing hospitality. Entertaining centers on how impressed people are with your meal, your decorations, your table setting. Hospitality shows genuine love and welcoming to others. Why do we have meals at church? Is it to impress anyone? No. Breaking bread, sharing meals is part of a four-pronged ministry of the church. Teaching. Fellowship (which is much more than just sitting around talking about recipes, hunting, crafts, sports, daily stuff.) Eating. Praying. God uses these four things to make the church different than their culture, to have others see something in us that isn't available in their world. Our church meals are not about entertaining. They are about hospitality: loving, sharing, giving, growing, being united in Christ.

Philippians 4:5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I knew when I started writing this post that it was ridiculous to worry about homemade bread. Embarrassingly ridiculous. I've had much more serious circumstances in my life, and I know you have too. I can truly look back through those difficult times and know that God gave me, and continues to give me peace, His peace. No matter what causes us to worry, big or small, God is God. He wants us to pray about it. He wants us to be near to Him. He wants us to be gracious. He will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

James 4: 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore, He says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Any time I have a personal struggle of any kind; I have learned to ask myself what God is trying to teach me. The question I ask myself now if my "reputation" for making good bread had become a source of pride. Did God use the un-good bread to teach me that I need to draw near to Him, to purify my heart, humble myself before Him? And aren't those things what we need to be doing all the time.