After a few minutes, the hot dog seemed to be done; it displayed the appropriate brown spots and felt warm to the touch. Upon cutting the hot dog open, however, I discovered that the inside remained frozen.
Hungry and desperate for any successful strategy, I decided to slit the hot dog down the middle and turn the heat higher. It finally cooked.
“Why in the world is she writing about her lunch?” you may wonder. Well, oddly enough, this little hot dog an accurate depiction of our lives.
Many times we think we are “ready for public consumption” based upon the cooked outside of our lives. In a condition of blindness and ignorance, we continue living as if no frozen core exists. However, a healthy dose of introspection just might reveal the ugly truth.
We are tough and raw.
Hard to accept, right? In contrast to the shallow teachings of our modern-day society, Jesus did not believe in skimming the surface of the matters of life. He knew that healing comes from digging deep within ourselves to the very fears and pains we try so hard to hide and from revealing them in their entirety. God inquires us to come before Him with nothing hidden. Sure, He can see straight through our disguises, but He asks us to willingly lay down our secrets, so that we might receive His freedom (John 8:33). If we don’t open up, how can we cook to our full potential?
Also, notice the key cooking element: heat.
While it would have been much easier and quicker to stick the hotdog back in the freezer, I knew what I wanted. I also knew that the end product would overshadow the extra cooking time and efforts completely.
God allows us to suffer in order to develop us into the final product. Can a hotdog cook without heat? However, He does not harm us in the process (Lamentations 3:33). He also does not leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
No, He will not walk away, forgetting about you as you burn to a crisp. He cares. That’s the only reason He places us on the stove in the first place.
Now we have a decision to make: Will we fight God for allowing the heat or thank Him for the opportunity to reach our potential?
You can fight if you want, but it just might leave you tough and raw.
