What’s Cookin’?

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”  Philippians 2:3, NLT, emphasis mine

Remember when Big Idea was just that?  Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber taught kids important spiritual lessons through the one food group children readily dismiss?  So what happened to it?  It grew.  Tremendously.  3,300% in three years.  So they set bigger, better goals that would land them on lists such as Fortune 500.  Executives forecasted even more growth and revenue.  Millions were spent to meet those predictions, yet they never came true.  Instead, Big Idea filed for bankruptcy, squishing the tomato into ketchup.

In an In Touch interview, Big Idea’s founder Phil Vischer answers the question “why do you think God would allow this” by saying “because I made the work I was doing for Him more important than my relationship with Him.”  His response scares me because it so easily could become my answer, too.  All too often I’ll get so excited over something I believe God is calling me to that I race towards it, asking God to bless my work while leaving Him behind. 

My mentor recently shared her perspective on this topic.  She’s come to liken her life to baking.  God is the Master Creator and could easily accomplish everything He wills and purposes.  But, just like she could bake cookies that turn out better than when baking with her children, God prefers the quality time spent together in the kitchen.  When God calls her to something, she is humbled and inspired that her Abba Daddy wants to “bake” with her.

Which will you be?  A CEO, pastor or stay-at-home mom striving to impress others or a sous chef in the kitchen with the Maker of the Universe?