The Secret Sauce
The Secret Sauce
If you walked into my kitchen and opened my refrigerator today you would find the majority of its contents to be condiments. So much so that they all won’t even fit into the door shelves designed for them!
Hot, spicy, mild, sweet, creamy, lite, squirtable, spreadable… from basic ketchup and mustard to that fancy miracle salad dressing from four years ago that was sure to make my diet work… you name it, it’s probably there.
When my sister and I were little, we would often make our own special “secret” sauces by mixing together different combinations of what mom had in the fridge. A little of this, a little of that, a few shakes of seasoning, and viola! A new flavor to make our meal go down with ease and extra satisfaction. Well… at least some were tasty, but admittedly, some were pretty hard to swallow.
But maybe it’s not just me who has this apparent obsession with sauces. After all, in any given grocery store you enter, you’ll likely find an entire aisle dedicated to bottles of every imaginable flavor. Maybe everyone is looking for that secret sauce that helps or gives some extra satisfaction in getting that meal to go down.
Today I’m thinking about a truly special sauce… a miracle sauce… the secret sauce of forgiveness.
Many times I have struggled with a heart of unforgiveness that ultimately led to bitterness and resentment. Situations or answers to my questions that were hard to swallow left me with a bitter taste and an unkind attitude. Perhaps this is the result of my flawed human nature, but more times than not, it’s a direct result of my reluctance to cover it with prayer, faith, and complete trust in God.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” -Ephesians 4:31-32
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” -Colossians 3:12-13
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” -Matthew 6:14-15
When I let go of my hurt and forgive, I am encountered with a covering of perfect peace.
My obedience to God’s instructions leaves me with the most satisfying and fulfilling flavor. A flavor that eases my mind and helps me move forward. Forward to that place of peace that comes only from His special recipe.
