Just Add Jesus By Kori Ashton

Have you ever watched Iron Chef or Hell’s Kitchen? These cooking shows are filled with knives chopping, skillets frying and people yelling! There’s so much drama - all to produce an amazing gourmet meal (and of course to beef up TV ratings). I get sucked into these shows even though I am not the best cook. Actually, I’ve been known to burn my fair share of toast. Once, I even made Mac ’n Cheese soup because I didn’t realize you are supposed to drain the noodles. While simple instructions like “Drain the noodles” or “Just Add Water” are time efficient and basic enough for a small child to follow, they don’t seem to produce what would be called a gourmet meal. Can you imagine if we could just add water and viola - Butternut Squash Creme Brulee!

TV shows like these reveal a behind the scenes approach to what it takes to produce amazing food. It’s tough and exhausting and they prove that there really are no shortcuts like “Just add water.” Likewise, there are no shortcuts to living a Christian life.

When we become Christians we cannot “Just Add Jesus” to our already existing lives and keep moving forward. Truth is - when Christ enters our lives, change happens! In fact death should happen. 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 tells us that we are a new creation and that all things should be made new. Death should happen to our selfish plans, our own agenda and our sinful ways.

For some of us, letting go of a crappy life filled with bad choices and hurt seems like a great swap. But what about others who feel as though their lives are pretty “okay” or even great without God in them? Luke 9:24-25 says that we are to lose our lives in order to gain them. Christ taught that we should allow Him to direct our steps and have the control in our lives because He has plans to prosper us and plans to give us hope.

“For what does a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” This life has no guaranteed tomorrow, but eternity is certain. The choices we make today echo in eternity (to quote the movie Gladiator). What if we strive our whole lives to gain wealth, knowledge, fame or recognition all to – in the end – just die? How will those obtained goals effect our eternity?

But when we surrender our lives to Christ and give Him control, He will bless us beyond measure. He has plans for us! As Christians we are not called to write the recipe of our lives. We are to follow the instructions. Just Adding Jesus isn’t a quick solution. We must take time, put in energy, at times get a little messy and allow Him to have control of us. In the end a beautiful gourmet masterpiece will be produced and your life will have been lived for His Glory!

Who is Jesus to you? Is He a quick fix or your Lord and Savior?