Green Grits and Ham

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The most perfect food in all of the world are grits. When made right. No Yankee grits. ecch! I discovered Yankee grits on my recent trip to Long Island New York. Yankees put sugar and milk in their grits. That's just down right blasphemous. To be made perfect, they must have salt, pepper, and butter. A few weeks ago, Patty and I were eating at a posh, eloquent, Southern restaurant...the Waffle House. It is at Waffle House that one can experience the elevation of Southern grits. You see, there is only one thing that can make Southern grits any better. When warm, melting grape jelly slides off your toast and into your grits. It is just a small taste of heaven. The yellow butter mixes with the bluish jelly to form a kind of green grits. The Wedding Feast in heaven will have green grits. And ham...honey baked, not green. I am sure of it because Daniel and his three friends ate green grits. (A little known exegete of the Hebrew in Daniel 1:12 reveals that the word Zeroa` [pulse], would be better translated as grits.)

Perfection.

So, my oldest daughter Shea said to me one time, “I think you should say that Jesus is sinless instead of perfect. His life wasn’t perfect, it was sinless. He had a lot of rough times, a lot of hardship; it was less than a perfect life.”

Hmmm. Well, she is like everyone else I encounter. They all have the right to be wrong. (tounge-in-cheekly, he said.)

I am very proud of her. She is thinking things through, which is important. Desire t-bone steaks, not baby formula, Paul tells us. I wish more of my congregation desired to think things though instead of being spoon-fed their theology.

But the fact is that this next generation does think this way about life. And the problem is that their view of life being perfect as measured by ease and comfort should give us pause. The Bible didn’t promise us a life free from troubles. As I have stated to my church many times, if you don’t have any problems let me know. I’ll pray that you get some!

Jesus had hardships, but that doesn’t mean He was out of God’s will. So why do we think that a trouble free, easy life is the only life that is perfect? A lack of problems is not a sign of God's will, just as the presence of trouble is not a sign of the absents of God's will.


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What does this all have to do with green grits? Most people wouldn’t consider green grits perfect, either. The fact is, you really can’t make them that way. Trust me on this one. I've tried. Grape jelly and grits don’t work as a recipe. But when it happens, it’s...well...perfection.

So it is with life. The things that we endure make us who we are. The things we sacrifice builds us into who God wants us to be. Would I like more stuff? Yeah, why not? But in reality, I have more house than I deserve, more cars than I deserve, and more love than I deserve. And to me, that’s just about as perfect as it gets.

The Perfect 10

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When I lived in Georgia, I worked for a company called Perfection-Schwank. Perfection was started in the late 1890’s as a manufacturer of oil burning space heaters. Through the years it added gas heating appliances to its repertoire, and I worked there as a gas engineer. I never really liked the name though. There was just something egotistical about calling ones self “Perfection,” and as an engineer with the company, let me tell you we were not even close.

There is another application with this word “perfection.” I still feel as though there is something egotistical about calling ones self perfect; however, the Bible says that we should call someone perfect. Me!
Oh...OK, and you, too.

Listen to the writer of Hebrews: “With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (10:14 NCV) Notice the word is “perfect.” It is not better. Not improving. Not enhancing, or trying. God doesn't improve, better, or try; He perfects. He doesn't enhance; he completes!

Remember back in the seventies when people were ranked on a scale of 1-10. She’s an 8½. He’s a 9. What-ever that meant. Everybody think of Dudley Moore and Bo Derek! (And if you get that reference with-out Googling it, you're showing your age!)  Me? I was always a ten! As in, “Steve can eat ten Krystal burgers.” “He’s on his tenth piece of pizza.” "The boy just ate ten chicken legs!" “Quick! Go get ten Rolaids!” Well, we are all ten’s in God’s eyes. Listen to James, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”(1:4) And David in Psalm 18, “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.”

Yes, yes, I know. We are BEING made perfect. Nevertheless, God speaks in terms of what has already been accomplished through Jesus Christ. That means God sees the completed work now, even though the actual completion is miles down the road. One day I will be perfect, sinless, and holy. But the important thing is that God sees me in that light of perfection right now. In other words- When He sees each of us, He sees one who has been made perfect through the One who is perfect–Jesus Christ. My wonder of His love for each of us never ceases.


You know...I think I quite like being a perfect 10!


Thank you, Jesus.