Strawberries

I love strawberries. They're sweet. They're fresh. They're juicy. In fact, there's almost nothing as tasty as cold strawberries in the Summertime after a long day in the scorching sun. Can you taste what I'm describing? When you bite into the luscious fruit, it bursts in your mouth like a small water balloon; when you chomp into it, it quenches your thirst. But yet, it's not a drink, it's food!

Amazing.

Overall, I'd say strawberries are pretty nifty delicacies. Yes sirree!

Recently, my mom packed me a huge bag of strawberries before I ventured out into the unknown one morning. (Hey, I had a bag of strawberries! What could go wrong?) Unfortunately, I left the nicely-packed bag in the car in the hot sun all day, and after realizing that my AC wasn't working, I decided to take my car into the shop.

A week (and a few hundred bones) later, I picked up the car and...

it smelt nasty. My strawberries still smelt sweet, in a way, but layered on top of the "sweetness" was a disgusting odor of festering mold. I've never smelt anything more abominable in my life!

This unfortunate event made me realize that strawberries are like Christians. We have "freshness" living inside of us. We are victorious beings, free from the vices of sin. We even know a Bible verse (or two!) by heart.

Christians (through Christ, of course) have the potential to facilitate the Light of the world, but in the same way, we have the potential to put it under a bushel. This is serious stuff.

Brennan Manning said--

The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Sure, the strawberries in my car were still strawberries, but were they appealing or repelling? Sure a Christian is a Christian, but are we bringing people to the throne or pushing them away with our words and actions? Sure, we know all the "fresh" worship songs, but is it just lip service?

In Amos 5:21-23, the Lord laments to Israel and says:

“I hate, I despise your feast days,
And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments."

Once again, this is serious stuff.

It's time for Christians (including myself) to be fresh, again. He is desiring a people that will share His sweetness with a starving world.

Amos 5:24--

"Let justice run down like water,
And righteousness like a mighty stream."

Sounds like strawberries to me.