Recently, a new bakery opened not too far from our house, on a street we travel frequently. Every time we drove past it, my husband or I would say, “We really ought to try them out one day.”
One day, it was time. My husband was driving past it with the three older kids with him, and he decided to stop in. They parked and went into the store.
The bakery was filled with all kinds of luscious Mexican pastries and baked goods, the likes of which the kids had never seen before. The cases were stocked with delicious-looking treats, with fancy designs and colors of icing. Our kids looked around at all the beautiful things, trying to decide which they wanted.
It was then that they came to the case in the back. In that case were relatively plain, cake-looking pastries with pink icing and sprinkles on top. No exotic colors or artistry, just plain, we’ve-seen-this-before, pink icing and sprinkles.
So, faced with the choice between something elegant, fancy, and new, and something plain that they were used to, our gourmet kids chose…that’s right…the cake with pink icing and sprinkles.
When my husband came home and told me about it, I thought it was kind of funny. In the wonderland of baked goods, the kids had chosen traditional.
Then, I realized something that wasn’t so funny.
We are lot like that, spiritually speaking.
You see, our Father has prepared a vast array of delights for us. He’s prepared things we’ve never seen before, things that would fill our spiritual senses and delight us, if we would just try them.
Instead, we ignore his treasures spread out before us, and we choose what we’re used to. The same old stuff is good enough, so why would we want to risk trying something more?
Friends, we often don’t experience even a fraction of the pleasures God has for us because we think what we are used to is good enough. After all, it’s rather pleasing, so why risk stepping out on faith and trying something new? We might not like it.
The analogy ends there, because in the case of my kids, it’s entirely possible that they wouldn’t have enjoyed a different treat, had they selected one. But it is not in the least possible that we would not delight in the spiritual treats God has for us, if we would just be willing to try them.
Risk speaking to someone God directs us to speak to? No way. What if they rejected us, or worse, laughed at us?
Risk taking a new job, or a new position at church, and doing something we’ve never done before? No way. What if we failed? That might make us look bad.
Risk obeying God’s instructions to the fullest, even if that causes us to suffer in some way? Never. Who wants to suffer?
It’s all about priorities. Of course, no one enjoys suffering, or rejection. But if our priority is to experience the abundant life God has for us, we need to realize that it may not look quite like we would design it.
Would we rather live safely, sure of acceptance, or would we rather experience the joy of knowing what it’s like to stand alone for Christ?
Would we rather live comfortably, free from as much suffering as possible, or would we rather know the pleasures of being right in the center of God’s will?
Would we rather have the pink icing with sprinkles, or would we rather taste one of God’s myriad spiritual treasures?
You see, pink icing with sprinkles is tasty. It’s good enough. But it will never lead you to pleasures beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.
Ephesians 3:20-21—Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.