We are in the middle of trying to empty our freezer and fridge the last two weeks before we move. I never realized how successful I was at creating a well-stocked pantry. Some things I have given up on using up—I already packed the 15 pounds of flour and four boxes of tea bags I had. But the cold stuff is a different matter. And so I have been opening the freezer door, then the fridge door, pulling things out willy-nilly and doing my best to use them up. These days, a good meal is defined as one that uses up a lot of ingredients.
One day I pulled some leftover ham out of the freezer along with half a bag of cubed frozen hash brown potatoes. As it happened I also had 2½ pounds total of at least four kinds of cheese. Then I found a pint of fat-free half and half and the brain really started working—cheese sauce! So before it was over I had a ham and potato casserole with a sauce containing about ¾ pound of cheese and the last half cup of sour cream and a few seasonings I could still scrounge up. My countertop was piled high with empty containers and bags. A great dish, I thought—before I had even tasted it, because at that point, it was how much I had used up that counted, not how it tasted. I was looking at success through completely different eyes. Which is exactly what God expects of us.
How do we define success? Is it all about the home we live in, the number of vacations we can take, and the kind of car we drive? That is not God's idea of a successful life. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit (Rom 8:5). God expects us to look at life through spiritual eyes, recognizing the things that truly matter, the things that are eternal. And so we can judge a life lived in a modest home with few expensive belongings as being a great success if the spiritual health of the family is in tip-top condition.
When my parents passed away, they lived in a small, two bedroom house in a small retirement community. They had one vehicle, a Ford Tempo. They ate out every Sunday and that was the most expensive entertainment they took part in. Some people would not be impressed. Yet all of their children were Christians and married to Christians. All of their grandchildren were Christians and the married ones were married to Christians. When they passed they had a hope of Heaven, hope in the way the Bible uses it—full assurance and expectation. That is what I call a successful life.
So I will keep on coming up with crazy meals out of my freezer and fridge, and the more empty they get, the more odd they will get. But if we can use up all that food before we leave, they will be considered successful meals, whether they taste good or not. And we will understand better than ever that we should be careful how we view this world, and not let our culture's view of success be our guide.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col 3:1-4).
Dene Ward