The Master Chef

I am a type of person that does not care about food. My motto has always been to simply fill the hole and move on with my day. As long as it checks the “fill the hole” box, I’m good with eating it. However, being married to someone who loves food has caused me to learn more about following recipes and creating quality dishes.

Something that I have learned in my cooking journey is that being a chef is all about timing. Once you have all of the ingredients, it’s important to mix and combine them in the right sequence and at the right time. The key is to stay focused, set timers, and anticipate which step is next. I also learned that no ingredient is ever wasted. Even if I’m not using it at first, I will eventually use all of the ingredients to create the dish. It might not look pretty at the beginning but it will all come together when it is completed.

In the same way a master chef will mix all of the ingredients together at the exact right time, God will take all of the ingredients of our lives and mix them together over time with exact detail-oriented precision for His purpose.

Ingredients that make up our God-given purpose:

• Personality
• Occupation
• Mistakes/Failures
• Environment
• Hobbies/Interests

For example, when Jesus called His first disciples, He meets an ordinary fisherman at the Sea of Galilee by the name of Simon. This is what Jesus says to him… “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).” (John:1:42)

Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter which means “rock.” Funny enough, all throughout the gospels we read about Peter being the opposite of rock-solid. He is known as being impulsive, reckless, self-assertive, and quick to commit without fully understanding the meaning of Jesus’ words or actions. Yet Jesus changed his name because He not only saw who Simon was, but also what he would eventually become. In the book of Acts, Peter became one of the leading evangelists and pioneers of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here are examples of how God used Peter.

• Personality: His outspoken attitude often got him in trouble, but he became one of the greatest preachers in the world. (Acts 2:14)
• Occupation: As a fisherman, he hadn’t received a high education or training (Acts 4:13) yet Jesus called him to be a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:19) He also wrote 2 books of the Bible.
• Mistakes/Failures: After denying Jesus 3 times as Jesus went to his cross (Matthew 26:69-75) Peter gets an opportunity to reaffirm His love for Jesus 3 times. (John 21:15-19)
• Environment: Jesus used Peter’s boat to teach the multitudes from shore. (Luke 5:3)
• Hobbies/Interests: Peter showed great faith while on the way to the temple to pray which he did every day. He and John met a man who had been crippled from birth and he heals him by the power of Christ. (Acts 3:1-8)

There are times in my life when I question if God can really use me. I feel like I have messed up too many times or that I’m not good, smart, or successful enough to be used for a higher purpose. However, I need to remember that God sees me exactly as I am, loves me, and will use me regardless of how “good” I am. He also sees the amazing potential of what I could become.

God doesn’t waste anything. If God used all of Peter’s flaws, shortcomings, and failures to fuel his ministry and lead thousands of people to Christ, then he can use ours too. The key is to be patient and trust in the timing of the master chef. The story isn’t over, He’s just not finished mixing yet. Let Him cook.

The Bigger Picture: Keep trusting God’s timing because nothing in your life is ever wasted.