Growing Fat Like a Stall-Fed Calf

Ouch. Confession alert. I failed.

The rest of this blog is either written for you to enjoy, me to vent, or some smorgasbord of varying elements. So, let us get to it.

Malachi 4:2 says "But to you who fear My name... shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

This has to be my consolation today. (1) I fear the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Today I went out. (3) After all my bluster yesterday about surviving on raisin toast... today, I caved and enjoyed a thoroughly large hand-tossed pizza from Pizza Hut with pepperoni, Italian sausage, onions, jalapenos, mushrooms, and pineapple with the crushed red peppers and parmesan cheese. Did I stop there? No. Unfortunately, I did not. I also ate some buffalo wings and that was where the problem began.

I was going about my day doing some routine errands and then going to the bank to deposit some checks for work. Boom. My credit union happens to be right next store to this Carl's Jr. restaurant. Well, it has been my habit on occasion to drop into this place for lunch because I have a friend that works there and because I enjoy their buffalo sauce, especially on their blue-cheese criss-cut fries. I know, I know... you are saying "JOSH. DON'T eat the french fries!!!" I hear you. I see you. However, they are just too dang good. So, after I am done with the bank (and literally, I here Dave Ramsey speaking in my mind "wealthy people eat less than 300 calories of junk food a day" to which my response is a hearty harrumph!) I head on over the Carl's Jr. and intend to get those buffalo fries with a spicy chicken sandwich, hold the lettuce, and add blue cheese crumbles and buffalo sauce. Needless to say, the gal behind the counter says they have discontinued all things blue cheese. I am like WHAT? Well, one less fast food restaurant I have to worry about since I only ever order one thing from every restaurant I go to. I am a weird creature of habit in that regard. I might blog to you sometime what exactly I order from every spot in town I frequent... but that is a topic for another day.

By this time, I am AS (American Starving) again, and I am driving home and it is approximately 3:45 p.m. I call up my wife to ask her what she is planning for dinner. She throws out a couple suggestions and then a light bulb goes off in my head. I can still satisfy that craving for buffalo sauce and blue cheese by getting some wings at the Deer Park Pizza Hut on my way home. Bingo. I tell Karen the what what. And there you have it.

Now. Scripture says in Matthew 4:4 that man shall not live by bread (or in this case pizza) alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. This is so true. Today I am finding that as much as I am enjoying blogging, it is a pretty self-absorbed endeavor. One can get very "me" focused. The best passage in Scripture that I could think of to read today to combat that in my life is the book of Malachi.

The first two chapters are aMaZInG!  It is like God reaching down and smacking you across the head and saying really? It is not about you. It IS about ME.  Let us look at this together.

Malachi 1:6 Where is MY honor?
Malachi 1:6 Where is MY reverence?
Malachi 1:6 MY name
Malachi 1:7 MY altar
Malachi 1:10 MY altar
Malachi 1:11 MY name
Malachi 1:11 MY name
Malachi 1:11 MY name
Malachi 1:14 MY name
Malachi 2:2 MY name
Malachi 2:4 MY covenant
Malachi 2:5 MY name
Malachi 2:9 MY ways
Malachi 3:1 MY messenger
Malachi 3:7 MY ordinances
Malachi 4:2 MY name

I (and perhaps we?) need a change of perspective. If I can begin to think of myself as small in the great grand scheme of things and begin to elevate the position of God in my life and keep His altar, His ordinances, His name, His messenger, His ways as the most important aspects of my life and give them the proper honor and reverence they deserve (which is everything), how might my life be different?

Malachi gives a glimpse. Marriages would be better. Governments would be better. Worship would be better. There would be financial peace. Overall, blessings would abound... and I would grow like a stall-fed calf. Unfortunately, today I think I grew more like a golden calf than a stall-fed calf as I gave into instant gratification and desire.