The Same Old Thing
Sunday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Monday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Tuesday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Wednesday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Thursday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Friday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea.
Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, cabbage and iced tea just happens to be my favorite meal.
In fact, it is my ideal meal and as a matter of fact, I could eat such a meal every single day.
I would not become bored with it, I would not tire of it, nor would I would not despise it or detest it. On the contrary, I would eat it constantly, gratefully and joyfully and never become “fed up” with it especially if my “Treasure” was the one who was making it (marital-husband points just earned).
Actually, I would happy as a pig in mud to eat my favorite meal daily, even though it would constitute me eating “The Same Old Thing” over and over, night after night.
However, being involved with, doing and/or hearing “The Same Old Thing” repeatedly can have its positives and negatives; its pros and cons. The outcome largely depends on the manner in which that “Same Old Thing” is presented (served) and received.
For many years now, I have read through the Bible daily from its first book (Genesis) to the maps near the inside of the Bible’s back cover. Consequently, I’ve read “The Same Old Thing” over and over annually, but I’ve not become bored or tired with it because the Bible is a “living” Word (Hebrews 4:12). I find something fresh, new, invigorating and inspiring within it each and every time I read it.
Now, let me share with you a relative contrast.
While leaving a store recently, I met a lady who was a member of a church I used to attend. After inquiring about my welfare, this dear lady began sharing openly with me that she’d not been to that particular church in “quite a while” herself.
“Brother Paul” she said, “It seems like every time I’m there, I just keep getting (you guessed it) “The Same Old Thing.” She concluded that she didn’t feel she was “growing” (spiritually progressing in faith, knowledge and understanding) in God’s Word due to a redundant manner in which the Gospel was being presented to her every Sunday, week after week.
Christian servants called by God to present the Gospel to humanity are equipped by the “Caller” to do so in a manner that will develop and promote spiritual growth within the hearer/recipient. These unique men and women of God must be constantly learning and seek to be “in tune” with God and their fellow man so their Gospel presentations avoid becoming the boring, lifeless and stale presentations commonly known by many hearers today as “The Same Old Thing.”
I believe mankind needs the Gospel and wants to hear the Gospel. We who have been entrusted with God’s Word (Titus 1:3) must present it with all the life that is within it (Philippians 2:16). There’s no requirement to excessively dramatize it or make it a big theatrical production in doing so, but it’s unlimited (2 Timothy 2:9) and can be presented in a manner that it will not be received as “The Same Old Thing.” King Solomon figured out a great way to do it (Ecclesiastes 12:10).
Therefore, all who serve in capacities as servants and shepherds of Christian flocks must be the salt (savor and seasoning) of the earth (Matthew 5:13), study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15) and feed the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2) with His life-giving, health-restoring Word (Proverbs 4:22).
If we’ll do that, we’ll avoid becoming sedentary in our proclamation service and not be found guilty of presenting “The Same Old Thing.” I believe the presentation of God’s powerful, life-changing and hope-filled Word needs to be as flavorful and mouth-watering, tantalizing and zesty as my “Treasure’s” meatloaf meal – the Gospel should be served for consumption like that meal…every time I receive it, it never “tastes” like “The Same Old Thing.”
Which reminds me: at the beginning of this submission I shared with you what I could eat for dinner six days out of a week…I left out Saturday.
Let’s see…this Saturday, I believe it would be great if for dinner I could have some meat loaf, macaroni & cheese…
Copyright © Paul Schneidmill 2008 All Rights Reserved