Flavour!!!

I'm at the ripe old age, where I am becoming an uncle left right and centre; so much so that I'm struggling to keep up with all the little ones.  What fascinates me about babies is how they do not fail to let you know what they think at all times.  Generally they scream, and you have to guess what on earth they want.  What also fascinates me is how everything they grab a hold of, goes straight into their mouths.  Inevitably they do suckle on something extremely distasteful like a lemon or piece of clothing.  The response is, for lack of a better word, interesting.  The face contorts, eyes close, their little legs kick about and the hand reaches into their mouth and hurls the object out with a slight grunt.

Flavour! Interesting word.  I really and I mean really hate olives.  I'm convinced they were created for one purpose only, to make expensive oil and nothing else, definitely not for consumption.  I have found myself spitting them out at posh dinners with no feeling of embarrassment or shame.  To be honest, I'd rather have people look at me funny than endure the taste of an olive.  I guess my reaction is similar to that of a baby.  When I taste an olive, everything comes to a standstill and the focus is on getting rid of the horrendously distasteful flavour and foraging for the nearest drink.

In Johns' Revelation, God says, ‘So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.'  That is a serious statement for God to make.  Having seen a baby's reaction to something distasteful, coupled with my reaction to olives, I get a little chill trying to imagine God's reaction to those of us who are distasteful to Him. 

There are two or maybe more ways of looking at ones flavour from the Christian view.  Firstly it is as Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5; that we are the salt of the earth.  In other words we, like salt are to bring out a good or rather a tasteful flavour from the world around us so that our Father in heaven might be glorified.  The second one is like it but includes who we are and what we do when no one is around.

Psalm 50:12 says, If I were hungry I would not tell you... If we ‘feed' God by our worship and lifestyle, we must face and answer the daunting question of whether our lifestyles are a good flavour or not to the consumer, God.  Or, are they so distasteful that even if He was hungry, He would not tell us and even if He did bravely try the dish, He would have to spit us out for lack of flavour.  Most of us live as if it doesn't matter what we do because we attend church on a given day, pray a couple of times a day and place a substantial amount in the collection bag.  It matters how we live our lives.  It matters how we treat our subordinates, superiors and colleagues at work, it matters how we speak to family members, what we read and watch on TV, it matters what we do with the money we earn, it matters how we behave on Saturday night, it matters what we do with our girlfriends/boyfriends.  The question is what taste do we leave in His mouth? 

We must not conform any longer to the patterns of this world.  We must stand our ground and not be of this world.  Galatians 5:16 - 26 contrasts two types of lifestyles.  They both have a flavour, one displeasing to God and the other, most pleasing; you must choose the one you will live.  Do not, I pray sit on the fence and be lukewarm. 

It is easy to say all of this, because it's what the Bible teaches, however, practicing it is much more difficult.  Be strong and vigilant; be radically ruthless in following Christ.  That is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Alone, it is impossible.  May our lives be such that we are of good flavour to God and may we be a people who constantly put a smile on His face.