My wife and I love to watch cooking shows. Some shows boast great cooks; some just an entertaining story line. But no matter the chef’s expertise or how “impossible” the meal, all cooking show hosts share one thing in common; they’re in love with their own food. Don’t believe me? Settle in for a quiet evening with the Food Network and prove me wrong. Every taste test delivers a delicious explosion of flavor to the chef’s delicate palate.  And they’re quick to tell us so.

Never a mistake. Never a flaw. But there is one big problem; I can never recreate the master piece without a little mess.

Sometimes as Christians, we act a lot like these chef’s, only instead of complimenting food we constantly focus on our own lives. Every time even a little introspection is performed we laud our own accomplishments. We present to those who are watching a perfect life.

Never a mistake. Never a flaw. But there is one big problem; no one can ever act like that.

Watching cooking shows has never inspired me to be a chef and I think it’s a safe assumption to say that “perfect” Christians rarely inspire others to pursue a relationship with Christ.  It’s a real shame too, because cooks and Christians get it wrong sometimes. We mess up. We’ve all burned a soufflé or two in our time (figuratively speaking of course).  So grace, not perfection, is what we need to celebrate. Grace is what we need to praise and hold up as the star. Not ourselves.

Only when we allow grace to steal the show can we provide those watching the inspiration to try and see that they can experience the love of God that will change their lives forever.

Community Questions:

What is your favorite cooking show?

How can we allow Grace to be prominent in our every day lives?