It’s dinner time.
Dinner tonight is a savory meal of rice, moist, delicious roasted chicken, and nicely seasoned vegetables. Hubby has a meeting after work so he’ll be eating his dinner later. But my boys, aged 5 and 3, need to eat now – a little extra play time, clean up time, bath time, and bedtime is just around the corner.
My mouth is already watering and I can’t wait to settle down to eat with them. Food is set on the table. I just need to grab our drinks and we’ll be all set.
“Mummy, this chicken smells sooo yummy!” I smile as I pour out milk into their cups. “We’ll start eating in a sec, ok?” – I reply. Hands together, Eyes closed… We all pray: “Bless this food O Lord, for Christ’s sake. Amen!”
We’re all starving – It’s been a long day. We dig into our food and for a few minutes no one says anything – we are all busy munching away.
“Mummy, I don’t want my veggies. I want some ice cream please.”
I don’t remember who said that first – My 5 year old or my 3 year old, but I do remember that the other quickly agreed. “Yes Mummy, can we eat ice cream instead?”
No boys, we’re not eating ice cream tonight. You need to eat up your veggies. They’re good for you. Please, eat up – We’re not leaving the table until you eat, ok…?
And the back and forth went. They knew they had to eat their veggies – but they were certainly not pleased. They started taking tiny little bites, you know, bites so little that we would surely be guaranteed to spend the entire night eating a side of veggies lol.
Boys, you’re gonna grow big and strong like Daddy if you eat up your veggies!
“Just like my Daddy?” My just turned 3 yr old squealed. “I’m gonna be just like Daddy?”
It never ceases to amaze me, how so very excited the kids get about the idea of being like us. It’s really heartwarming:). “I like strawberry yogurt just like you Mummy!” “I am getting really tall just like you Daddy!” They were not really in the mood for my “nicely seasoned” veggies that evening lol, but they ate it all up (even though they didn’t enjoy it lol) because they knew it would help them grow big and strong like Daddy, who they love, admire, look up to, and definitely know they want to be like.
If only we could be that way about “eating our veggies” as we know God wants us to, so we can grow and mature in our daily walk with him. God is our heavenly Father, we love him and we want to be who he wants us to be… But there are some times when it seems difficult, inconvenient or not very pleasant to do what we know deep down that our Father wants us to do. If we truly love Jesus and want to be like him, following his example as eager disciples, we will do what we know he wants us to do, even though we’d sometimes rather eat ice cream instead of veggies.
A few examples come to mind—
1. Forgiving someone who has hurt us terribly. Not only forgiving, but showing them radical love.
2. Seeking God’s Approval instead of People’s Approval.
3. Obeying what we know God has told us to do; And doing the right thing, even when it’ll be so much easier to do something else.
And many more…
It is my prayer that we, as children of God, will always do what we know God wants us to do. That we will be true followers of Christ, following his example as we grow and mature each day. That we will always love God, not only with our words, but with our deeds – big and little. That we will always seek God’s approval – far above any other.
I pray that we will always remember that there is a time for rice and chicken, a time for ice cream, and there is a time to eat our veggies too. I pray that we will always live a life that will be heartwarming to God – a sweet aroma to God… that God will rejoice over us as we live a life of obedience to him… and as we discover every day that really, in obeying God, we are actually doing ourselves a whole lot of good. And like Tola has reminded us, eating our veggies in manageable portions regularly now will help prevent a whole lot of issues down the road.
Here’s the Verse/Thought of the Day:
1 John 2:3-6
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (ESV)
–So help us God – Amen!
See Also:
Bible Verses & Quotes On Obedience to God, Obeying God
Bible Verses & Quotes About Following God, Imitating Christ, & Being A Disciple
Bible Verses & Quotes About Spiritual Growth, Growing in God, Growing Closer to God
All Inspirational, Motivational, Encouraging Bible Verses & Quotes By Topic
Romans 7:17-25 – “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ Our Lord”!
- By God’s grace, we can & will live a life that pleases God!
Is there anything that today’s post reminds you of? Have you ever struggled with obeying God or doing something you know God wants you to do? What helps you stay on track as you grow in God each day?
Thanks a lot – Have a wonderful day!:)!
Much Love & Blessings,
Bomi Jolly
Don’t go yet:)! I think you’ll also enjoy:
- Tatu Yod Ees!
- It’s Not Up to Them!
- Don’t Forget to Spank Him!
bomi , again , am blown away by this simple illustration of growing from being a babe to a matured christian. Like your kids , i need more veggies , if i want to grow , the veggies are the constant exposure to the word of God , listening to tapes , reading of christain literature. Maturity is not given from heaven but consciously acquired through the Veggies of God. Bomi, thank you for using this picture of your home’s dinner setting to teach us of how important it is to grow to maturity in Christ Jesus.
.-= oreofe´s last blog ..Love is a Choice =-.
Thanks Bomi!
This theme ‘growing up in God’ is what my fellowship has been treating this week and its so beautiful reading this here…
A simple yet profound analogy in this story. God bless u dear!
Thanks Bomi for your inspiring illustrations. If only we could relate to and believe in Our Fatherlike our children do with us. Indeed we need the veggies to make our diet(spiritual life) balanced.
@ Ore Ofe – Thank you so much… I love how you remind us that Maturity is not given, but consciously acquired… I couldn’t agree more! We start out as “newborn babes” as illustrated in one of the verses in the Spiritual Growth Page. We are all Christians but maturity comes over time – by God’s grace, as we make a conscious effort to live a life that pleases God! Thank you Ore Ofe:)!
@Toyin – Much appreciated!:)! In the recent days and weeks, I have just been immersed in topics like Obedience, Growing in God, Doing God’s Will, Imitating Christ… I pray that all what we’re learning and re-learning will take deep root in us, and that we will all grow and mature in our walk with God every single day. Amen. Thanks Toyin – God bless you too:)!!
@Yetunde – Exactly…we need a spiritually balanced diet to grow, stay healthy and be who God wants us to be! May we always remember. Thank you very much Yetunde:)!
will be back to complete this article, Anjy is right on my nerves……
Awwwwhhhh……I want to be strong like my big bro Jesus so I need to eat up more veggies. Thanks Jolly sis for sharing this and yes it’s usually hard to do some things which are actually good for us but in the long run, it’s rewarding. Forgiving a hurt is surely a tough veggie to eat
but I wanna be just like my daddy!
…and I pray that we would sooo be on the hots for Jesus, and not wait for trials, tribulations, and troubles to send us back to the Loving arms of our Loving Father. Let the “veggies” be a part of our daily meals. Amen. Thanks for sharing sis! Hugs…:)
@ Mayo – Ok…See you soon:)!!! All the best… Thank you!!
@Bunmi – YES!!! True & complete forgiveness is one of the tough veggies to eat for sure! But since we’re not doing it in our own power or our own strength, we know it is possible to forgive even when we’ve been hurt terribly, regardless of whether or not we feel that forgiveness is deserved… just like God forgave (and still forgives) us even though we are far from deserving. So with God, it will be done. We will eat our veggies and make our Father glad, and like you reminded us… we will benefit from it big time. Amen!! Thanks a lot Bunmi:)!!
@ Toju – Amen and Amen!! May we never neglect our relationship with God, only crying out to him when the going gets tough….May God never be a last resort for anyone of us – On the contrary – The most important person in our lives.. every day. Amen! Mega Hugs:)!!!
Thanks alot for your inspiring article. May God help us to continue to be obedient to him always.
As I was reading this, something struck me: Not all fathers are to be looked up to. I love my dad, he’s one man that I want to bless with everything I have in the nearest future, he is definitely a role model for I and my siblings.
But not everyone has that father they can look up to like this. That’s why God is our ultimate role-model. He is there for us to look up to. He’s the one who said, “In your weakness, I will perfect my strength.” Who else does this? Who can be like God? No one.
I really loved this post. Lol @ your kids munching their veggies and finishing their plates of food just because they want to be just as tall and strong as their daddy. Such a wonderful analogy. Favorite post for the day
.-= Jaycee (E.A)´s last blog ..When Philanthropy is Not Good Enough =-.
This is a great inspiration,i pray we all go with God’s choice since it is the easiest way and best way , just like vegetables are good for the body but might not be appealing to the eyes compare to icecream. obedience to God’s instruction is the key of life.
@ Christy – Amen…. Thank you very much Christy! Amen.
@Jaycee – Absolutely – the sad truth is that not all fathers are good role models or examples, and not all dads should be imitated. But like you said – God is our ultimate role model – we can never go wrong in imitating him!:)! And the verse you reminded us of reminds me of the Cece Winans song – “His strength is perfect… when our strength is gone…” Thank you very much Jaycee!
@Timi – Thanks so much!! God’s way is certainly the best way – It may not always seem like the easiest way, but ultimately, we will always find that it is the best way… and thanks for reinforcing the importance of obedience! Thanks Timi:)!
Eating these veggies hasn’t been an easy feat. Particularly if they’re like the ones on my plate with no seasoning. lol!!
But with the knowledge that i’m going to be as strong and big as Jesus(he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do Mat 14:12) I am eating these greens with so much relish ;D
its quite heartwarming and a strong reminder of our Love for our Heavenly Father. I feel encouraged!!
First off, with all the talk bout moist roasted chicken (how does anyone achieve that??? I think ‘moist’ and ‘roasted’ are supposed to be mutually exclusive words, lol!) you have made me hungry, at almost mid-night Nig. time
lol!
Another impactful piece; for me particularly the aspect of seeking God’s approval and not man’s. Time and again I promise myself in the morning as I set out to face the day that it will be God’s way or no way… And I remember this at night after going through a day unconsciously seeking to see only man’s smile
Thanks for this reminder, Bomi. Veggies, like discipline, may not go down too smoothly, but I am better off in the long run with sizeable portions regularly now. Amen.
@ Koinonia – LOL @ “the ones on my plate with no seasoning”! lol! I’m eating my greens with relish too – So help me God:)! Thanks a lot for sharing Koin!
@Eddie – So glad to hear that you found this useful:)! Thank you very much Eddie..!:)!
@ Tola – LOL!!! I know what you mean… you know what, I have a store down the street to thank for my perfect moist roasted chicken! lol! My mouth is also watering just thinking about it again…aaah lol! And I love love how you summarize it – “Veggies, like discipline, may not go down too smoothly, but I am better off in the long run with sizeable portions regularly now.” – Amen!! Cos if we don’t deal with manageable portions regularly now – we’re bound to deal with super mega stuff later – not so nice! Thank you much Tola! It’s food for thought!
Good Word. I especially appreciate your practical, down to earth, examples. May we indeed seek to be like Jesus, even when it means doing stuff we’d rather not.
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..What if you do the right things but dont see the right results =-.
Beautiful ! May Allah guide our steps and contain us as we face temptations in our lifetimes daily !! Ameen……
God bless you for sharing……Hugs
Amen! We definitely do need to “eat our veggies.” Too many times I find myself indulging in the dessert & skipping on the veggies. Great post as always. <3
.-= Anahid´s last blog ..Helping one another =-.
@ Tracy – Thank you lots:)!. “May we indeed seek to be like Jesus, even when it means doing stuff we’d rather not” – Amen….Amen… Amen. Thank you.
@Maryam – God bless you too for reading and for sharing:)! Yes this certainly applies to temptations we face… I know with God’s help and By his grace, we are more than over comers. Thanks Maryam!
@Anahid – I know what you mean – it’s so much easier to just enjoy the desserts isn’t it? lol! But we learn to enjoy eating our veggies when we do it regularly (or at least not dislike them so much;) ) – Same thing definitely applies spiritually. So applying these truths regularly , in manageable portions, helps us avoid having to deal with gigantic issues later (like Tola reminded us). Thank you Anahid!
Bomi,
It never ceases to amaze me how ur words always touch me at that point when am feeling low. So many times I will be determined in my mind to only do God’s will and follow His commandments, but I find myself doing other wise. Because I know doing His will is the best thing in life, thou sometimes following the other way seems easy. I know and pray sincerely that God’s will for my life will be the first priority in my life. Thanks again Bomi for your words of inspiration.
I love this..
Whaow! I really love this simple and straightforward piece because it is something we all can relate to and continually experience in our daily walk with Christ. We find ourselves in situations where we struggle within our hearts and want to have things go our own way(remain in our comfort zone) rather than do what God wants us to do; an attitude which does not bring us closer to the father.
Indeed, when we learn to trust and do His will (‘cos He alone knows all things and will never tell us to do anything that will not be in our favour), He will rejoice over us as we live a life of obedience to him and grant us peace and joy in our hearts.
@ Kehinde – Thank you very much:)!! Glad to hear that.. Stay blessed:)!
@ Titi & Peter – Thanks a lot!:)!.. I’m so glad to hear you are finding JollyNotes inspiring and useful – Praise God! I echo your prayers and your desires. Some of your comments remind me of the scriptures in Romans 7:18-30. I have included the link so anyone interested can read the entire scripture, but here are verses 21-25 in the Message version —
“It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” – (The Message)
So “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (NASB) – We know by God’s grace, not by our own power – we can and will live a life that is pleasing in God’s sight. And like Peter reminded us “He will never tell us to do anything that will not be in our favor”! So we know we are secure in his will.
Thank you very much once again
!
I always look forward to ur articles…uhmm i like this,may the anointing of God in ur life not dry up in Jesus name. Kudos 2 d knowledge of ur illustrations, even though u don’t always use old/new testament personalities 4 ur illustrations bt all d same I cherish the way u make use of ur kids and any other persn around u 4 it. Bless u a load
Wonderful post, well worth waiting for. Children are great examples to how we should be with the Father. Daily I learn something from my children, initially I thought that parenting is all about me teaching them. I have come to see that they are here to teach me a lot too.
Thanks Bomi for that reminder that we should be like our heavenly father.
Bravo!
.-= Buky Oj´s last blog ..Does Mama Really Know Best =-.
Bomi,
this is deep, its amazing how God shows himself in our daily lives, God’s veggies are indeed nourishing and filling.We need to spend more time in His presence,just fellowshipping with Him but we are so busy that we sometimes forget!May He continue to remind us through means such as yours.I want more veggies o, seasoned word,appetizing praise,yummy worship and delicious fellowship.
@Nikky – Thanks so much for your very kind and thoughtful prayer – Amen!:)! Thanks a lot, very glad to hear you have found it helpful – that is my desire always. God bless you too Nikky – Thank you:)!
@Buky – I couldn’t agree more – they are here to teach us, for sure!! I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn – it’s amazing. Thank you much much Buky!:)! Love to your little ones!
@Lola – Amen, amen, amen… it’s wonderful like you said how God always shows up – to teach us, to remind us, to re-teach us, to make us into who he wants us to me….. Thank God for God, and thank you very much for sharing Lola! We will continue reminding each other. Thanks.. stay blessed!
wow! This is just perfect analogy! I just dont get that many inspiration with the hustle and bustle of everyday life…maybe when I get married…lol
It is really difficult to eat the veggies when you dont even have time for yourself except probably sundays. U get home late at night and all u want to do is eat and sleep. The next day, it is a struggle to get up and pray and so on and so forth.
This article has just opened my eyes…”eat them all up if u want to be like daddy”. It won’t be easy but His grace is sufficient for me.
God bless you richly for this magnificent article.
nice one, I really enjoyed reading this piece. May God continue to increase you. regards to the boys.
Thanks so much for this goodly insight, I will eat my vegetables gladly tonight
@ID Tosin – lol @ “maybe when I get married”!:)! Love how you said it – exactly – it is often not easy but we will find that his grace is certainly sufficient for us. Thank you very much Tosin…. God bless you richly too!
@Abiola & Akinfolarin- I’m so glad to hear you found this useful. Amen…Thank you much much. Many blessings to you and yours…
bomi this post is for me, am sure you have no idea how much it means with me. someone hurt me real bad recently, and i have been finding it really hard to let it go. just this morning i felt God asking me why i find it so easy to ask for His forgiveness while i refuse to forgive just one hurt from someone else. i pushed it aside and few hours later i clicked on this link and here He is again telling the same thing in another way…….
Amen
very good I am going to be praying for wisdom for you not that you don’t already have it
Lord God I pray for wisdom for Bomi that she can respond quickly, make good decisions, and all
it says in James that We Can ask for wisdom
and to ask in faith
and that any man that does not ask in faith wavers and he should not think he will receive anything
so we ask in faith Lord
and we know That We have Already recieved from you and that we do have your faith so Lord we ask for the “Heavenly Treasure” of wisdom
thank you, In Jesus’ name, Amen
@ Shola – You should see the smile on my face:)! Trust me, you’re not alone – forgiveness for many of us – myself included – is often easy to ask for (and expect), but can be harder to give out – but by God’s grace and strength, we can and will do it.
Isn’t it wonderful how patient God is with us, teaching us and providing ample opportunities to speak to our hearts? Thank God for God, and Thank God for the grace he gives us… Thank you very much Shola… !
@Yohana – Echoing your Amen here….AMEN!:)! Thanks a lot Yohana.
@Austin – Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your thoughtful prayers on wisdom – Amen! Yes, I pray in agreement for increased wisdom for every single one of us… after all, wisdom is better than silver or gold (proverbs 3:14)! Thank you again Austin:)!
wOw ..absolutely nice! You’ve given me a very important message to hold on to, even out of negligible scenarios. Thanks bomi.
The story alone warmed my heart
.
I couldn’t agree more, being obedient is not always initially pleasant but we that know him have seen example after example of how his way is the best and only way to true JOY
Again, I bless God for you…I’m reading this quite late but I’m glad I finally came around to it. The simplicity of the message is profound (errr…I have to read that last sentence again). Hehe.
Seriously, thanks again for sharing this. I want to be like my Daddy…and I don’t mind going through the ‘process’!!
I also want to be able to write like you when I grow older
.-= HexyDre´s last blog ..YES!!! =-.
@ ‘Debiyi – Thank you!! I’m really pleased to hear that you have found this application practical. Thanks a lot for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Enjoy the rest of your week:)! Thanks
@Tosin – aww thanks !:)! YES yes yes…. I certainly agree – Obeying God may not be initially pleasant but God’s way is always the best way. Thank you very much Tosin, for sharing!
@HexyDre – lol…! I hope we can always say that – “we don’t mind going through the process”. I hope we will always make God smile through the things we do and the things we don’t do. Thanks a lot Hexy for your encouraging words!
I truely enjoyed reading this one.i am reminded of how difficult it is to walk as God wants me to, because of the friends and decisions i keep close to my heart.i would rather do what God wants me to do than follow man.thankyou for sharing
i do really want to be like my father in heaven.
Just got to read this post now but you know what? Was just feeling very grumpy why I can’t just go to a club have fun and enjoy myself instrad of church church and church. Guess I know why now. Thanks bomi, read this just at the right time contrary to my tots that its late
Its becomes very easy for our Christain lives to become a routine that we forget that its not about us at all.
We seem to forget that God that gave his son would never hurt us and loves us more than we can ever love ourselves.
The beauty of Christiandom is the fact that no matter how much we grow we would still be God’s child and we can never become independent or need to be one our one. The Father-son/daughter relationship is forever. And I love it because its the best part.
Unlike our earthly relationships with our parents, we can never outgrow our position as God’s child.
I guess that is why the christian journey requires daily committment, so that we do not loose ourselves in the circles of religion and become like teachers of the law had become a law unto themselves.
Thank you for the reminder that even when we do not like what God has placed in our plates, they are to help us grow and become like HIM
@Mwila, Seyi, Bunmi – Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share. I am very glad to hear you have found this useful. …So help us all God, Amen! Thank you all.
& Thank you Bunmi for this very apt reminder –
“that is why the Christian journey requires daily committment, so that we do not lose ourselves in the circles of religion and become like teachers of the law had become a law unto themselves…. even when we do not like what God has placed in our plates, they are to help us grow and become like HIM.”
…precisely! Thanks all once again – Stay blessed and in God’s love=)!