Christ or Cake?

| Posted: 10-11-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 14 | Rating: (51)

(?)

Let’s embrace the wisdom of children, who see fields for running, swings for swinging, and beds for jumping. We did not plan this breathtaking little moment, but that is exactly why it is breathtaking!

We must be inspired by something other than God's Spirit to expect God at the same place, in the same way on a certain day of the week. We are driven by something other than childlike faith to decide who God is before He ever tells us. So it goes that, by imposing our smallness on God, we rob ourselves of much joy in Him and, even worse, we rob the Author of all such joy from giving it.

There are many who, according to their actions, believe that they might buy or in some way force their way into heaven. But the only spiritual work that we mortals can accomplish on our own is to land ourselves in hell.

On one occasion, I fell in among a birthday party and, though I didn’t know the people very well, I got a free piece of cake out of the deal. It was made with a sweet cream, chocolate frosting and vanilla cake, layered alternately. The top was coated with a dark chocolate shell, whipped cream, and a cherry. The cake tasted so good at the time that I looked on the box and saw, to my delight, that it was purchased at the store just across the way. So I went and bought an entire one of those cakes for myself, intending to eat one slice a day for an indefinite time afterward. The beauty of having a whole cake to myself, I figured, was that I could eat it as often as I wanted or else I could gorge myself on all of it all at once without offending anyone. But by the end of my second day of partaking in this glorious cake, the magic had already faded, and I could tell how it was going to taste even before I took another bite. It took about two days for my overly contrived anticipation to spoil what was once a delight to me, and still most of the cake remained. So I put it in the freezer to wait for the taste to fade from my memory. I hoped that the original glory of its savor would return to me some day soon if only I laid off for a while. At a later time I hoped to enjoy my cake once more as the same cake I originally knew, chewed, and cherished.

This is only a harmless example of trying too hard to reproduce an experience that snuck up on me the first time with dazzling, smooth sweetness and cool, creamy frosting. This only illustrates the fact that there is a better, freer quality of joy in accepting Christ as He is.

Anyone who is saturated with Christ and affected by His all-consuming Spirit, must also assume much of His creative flexibility. Not that God is changeable, I’m only saying that if anyone’s contentment is grounded in Him then that person must also be easy to please no matter what the situation.

Jesus Christ embodies such an infinitude of variety that it becomes difficult for His followers to do anything by rote or just to go through the motions. God's people in general should feel ill-at-ease with anything too contrived.

How many times must I try to have my cake and eat it too before I embrace the futility of seeking any kind of joy in something as silly as cake?

Do you seek cake? Seek Christ instead, and He will be your Cake as well as your Everything in every situation. If you need cake today, He will give it to you today. If He does give you cake, then take it thankfully and eat it too, and be content with however much cake He gives you. But remember the Main Thing, which is not cake, but Christ.

Daily I must have Christ, I must eat and drink and breathe Him, which is according to my new design in His Spirit. He is my Substance, my Joy and my Life. Whether I live or die, He remains all-satisfying. Not that I glory in my satisfaction, but I will admire and praise Him who is thoroughly satisfying.

We should not boast in anything that fills our stomachs, but we should boast only in Christ who is our Appetizer, Main Dish, Cake and the Summation of everything worth living for.

This is an excerpt from To the Church of the West, Scattered Throughout the World. Find this book and similar articles at www.BooksByPatrick.com

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: God, Children, Jesus, Birthday, Joy, Eat, Spirit, Christ, Cake, Seek, Fill, Gorge

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/christ-or-cake-256510.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

All-you-can-eat Insecurities
By: Patrick Roberts | 11/11/2007 | Religion

The Secret to Success: Embracing your Current Circumstances With Joy
By: Patrick Roberts | 05/11/2007 | Religion

God’s Difficult Answers
By: Patrick Roberts | 17/11/2007 | Spirituality

Joy is Like a Train
By: Patrick Roberts | 05/11/2007 | Religion

Obey God Today
By: Patrick Roberts | 29/10/2007 | Religion

Joy and God's Other Unexpected Gifts
By: Patrick Roberts | 05/11/2007 | Religion

Unexpected Joy is Pure Joy
By: Patrick Roberts | 07/11/2007 | Wellness

Working for and Hearing From God
By: Patrick Roberts | 15/11/2007 | Religion

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

8-9 Boys Rape 11 Girl Marietta Giorgia
By: Shawana | 21-11-2007
Three boys, ages 8-9 were charged with rape of an 11 y/o girl. Thje parents of the boys claim the girl consented and no force was used against her.Is this normal?Can they be held responsible?Who's to blame in this story?

How to build electric car for children?
By: ymushkin | 20-11-2007
How to build electric car for children?

Adoption
By: bogart | 19-11-2007
I have two daughter who are adopted. My oldest daughter's birth mother has contacted us and would like her daughter to meet my child (her daughter is 11, mine is 8). This was originally an open adoption but it has not turned out so due to the birth mothers addictions and homelessness. Obviously, I have real concerns and am reluctant for this to happen unless we have an opportunity to prepare our daughter and ground rules are in place. Does anyone have any experience with this or any adivce? Thanks

What´s the most constructive way for an adult to ...
By: Grace Hernandez | 19-11-2007
What´s the most constructive way for an adult to teach a child the difference between right and wrong?

6 year old suspended for stick figure drawing. Do you agree?
By: jake.brown | 19-11-2007
As a result of a zero-tolerance policy at an Oregon school, a six-year-old is suspended for drawing 2 stick figures, one figure holding a gun to the other's head. The child told the principal and his father he was drawing something he saw on The Simpsons. Do you agree with the principal's decision to suspend the child?

How do I make "baked chocolate pudding cake"? Also ...
By: RDSHDW | 17-11-2007
How do I make "baked chocolate pudding cake"?What's the best chocolate/cocoa to use for this?Most importantly: is it possible to use individual ramicans for this? I'm seeing a lot of recipes mentioning adding instant coffee to the boiling water part of the recipe. Some recipes even calling for eschewing the water in favor of half and half in order to make the sauce have greater body. Others mention using eggs...

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Religion Articles

This is Allah (38) Does Allah Charge Any Soul Beyond Its Scope?
By: Safaa Abdel-Aziz | 13/10/2008
Who is Allah? Verses 7:42-43 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) Does Allah Charge any Soul Beyond its Scope? 2) The Outcome of those who Believe in Muhammad and Perform Righteous Deeds, 3) The Believers shall Abide in the Paradise Forever Never to Die or be Removed, 4) Who are the Rightful owners of the Paradise? 5) What if the Believers who Abide in the Paradise have had Rancor between them in the life of this world? And 6) What the Believers will say once they Have Settled in the Paradise?

Spiritual Anchoring in Times of Difficulty
By: Julie Redstone | 13/10/2008
There is a great need for spiritual anchoring in times of turbulence and change. Anchoring in a deeper truth helps us to weather the currents of emotion that pass through us due either to external events that we experience directly, or to taking in the reactions of others to these...

Religious Jewelry
By: Jayne Waldorf | 13/10/2008
I am not about to start discussing religion in this article. I think that beliefs are a personal matter. If you are interested in religious jewellery because it reinforces your faith or because you find it pleasing to wear or any other reason then that's ok by you so it...

Entering the Dark Room
By: Bobby Keating | 12/10/2008
Alzheimer's disease is devastating, not only to the patient but also to the care giver. How do I handle the heartache?

Higher Purpose in Life
By: 104inc.com | 12/10/2008
My comments may be a bit controversial and it may enrage people but I as a religious person and trying to evaluate the purpose of life? From a logical standpoint I cannot figure it out. We kill and pillage and rape in the name of religion and God. Yet if God loves all of us why in turn would we not love each other unconditionally?

This is Allah (37) How Does Allah Requite the Guilty and the Evildoers?
By: Safaa Abdel-Aziz | 12/10/2008
Many people do not know Allah. This series is an attempt to help them in order to know their Creator. Verses 7:39-41 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) How does Allah requite the guilty and the evildoers?, 2) What is the outcome of those who deny Muhammad and the Quran?, 3) The gates of Heaven will not be opened for the Souls of those who…, 4) When Allah Shall Say: so taste the doom for what you used to earn? And 5) How will be the bed and the coverings over the Disbelievers in the Afterlife?

Influence With the Gospel
By: Steve Bremner | 11/10/2008
Just some thoughts on the influence we can have on people.

Divine Healing is Mechanical, not Relational
By: Steve Bremner | 11/10/2008
Upon reading through the book of Matthew once a few years ago, I came to some thoughts I'm going to share with you today that are still relevant in my life, and coupled with something I read in Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee.

More from Patrick Roberts

The Movie "next" (starring Nicholas Cage) -- Time Travel and Choice
By: Patrick Roberts | 04/01/2008 | Movies
But God would never allow anyone to have the give of seeing into the future. This would violate the sacred gift He gave all people, called “Choice.” For the same reason God would never allow time travel.

The Movie I, Robot, Starring Will Smith – What is your Purpose?
By: Patrick Roberts | 02/01/2008 | Movies
The fact that human beings care about purpose proves that we were created for a purpose. If God did not create us for a purpose, then the concept of purpose would never cross our minds.

The Movie I,robot, Starring Will Smith - the Downfall of Postmodernism
By: Patrick Roberts | 02/01/2008 | Movies
During one of the discussions Will Smith (Detective Spooner) has with Dr. Landing's posthumous recordings, the doctor explains that the end of these laws, even though they are perfect, is Revolution. Why? Why can't we guarantee our safety? Will we ever phase out the risks of daily life?

The Matrix -- Neo Represents an Average Christian
By: Patrick Roberts | 01/01/2008 | Movies
Many Christians jump at the chance to equate Neo (Keanu Reeves) with Christ because he died and rose again and then went on to spread the word about gaining freedom from the Matrix. This is appropriate because he is prophesied as "the One," or as a messiah figure. However, the course of Neo's life also resembles the life of an average Christian. It might be more useful to view his life in this way.

Mel Gibson's Movie "apocalypto" - Ugly as Sin
By: Patrick Roberts | 31/12/2007 | Movies
Mel Gibson is a crazy man. That's what I love about him. He's consumed by a vision of either God or religion or a mixture of both.

Toyota’s Prius -- is the Hybrid Technology Worth the Extra Cost?
By: Patrick Roberts | 31/12/2007 | Cars
The people have cried out for relief from rising gas prices. They have sought after something that doesn't destroy the environment. Toyota has answered the people with their gas/electric hybrid, the Prius.

Ridley Scott's "kingdom of Heaven" -- Religion V. True Spirituality
By: Patrick Roberts | 30/12/2007 | Movies
Balian (Orlando Bloom) is surrounded by politics and manmade religion, but he seeks something more spiritually substantial.

Movie, "the Reaping" Starring Hillary Swank -- False Religion
By: Patrick Roberts | 28/12/2007 | Movies
The Reaping a few bits of sincere truth, such as the fact that there's a fine line between crazy cults and mainstream religion.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.21, 17)

Christ or Cake?

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Religion Articles

More from Patrick Roberts

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter