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Don't Fall for False Promises...



Image result for pancake heart

A Saturday morning that begins with no plans or pressure sets the perfect pace for a late and leisurely breakfast.  This is what a recent Saturday looked like for my family. After sleeping a little later, spending unhurried time reading and soaking deep devotions from God's Word, it was time for breakfast.

A morning like this is an ideal match for a breakfast of pancakes. Aunt Jemima (and her pancake mix) usually help perfect a pancake breakfast, but after realizing we were out of this product, I did a quick google search for a pancake recipe. A low-carb eating plan works well with our family, so I googled 'fluffy low carb pancakes", since fluffy is a must for pancakes! The recipe I chose called for a small amount of apple cider vinegar. I added it to the recipe and just assumed it would be an agent to bring out the 'fluffiness' of the pancake. The pancakes were fluffy, but the taste of the vinegar lingered even through slathering maple syrup over them masked the taste well.  But....the vinegar aroma had filled the air of our home. Cooking the pancakes had released the smell into our home which didn't become apparent until we had walked outside and then back in. You become accustomed to the scent you saturate yourself with.

Just like our hearts - the bedrock of our lives, emotions, words, actions and attitudes. Christian women usually long for the ideal look and feel - just like the fluffy pancake! Shape, size and texture matter to us ladies! But the ingredient list is of the most importance. What goes in our hearts is what truly matters.

Pancake ingredients do not produce pancakes until they are mixed together. If we want our hearts right, we must add the best ingredients - God must be first! Adding heaps of His Word, mixed with prayer begins the process that equips us to make our daily choices. As decisions arise, what is stored up in our hearts is what will determine our choices.

That vinegar I added to the pancakes held a promise of 'fluffiness' which was what I was looking for. But, it turns out the acidity of vinegar destroyed the simplicity of a pure pancake. In our quest to be our best it is often tempting to slip in an ingredient in that may not be beneficial. Little splashes of anger, comparison, jealousy, manipulation may add a little spice to our personality, but like vinegar, they will taint us. Instead of sweetness coming out, an acid will seep through. That vinegar smell lingered in the air of my home. When our hearts get tainted, a smell lingers - one that is not refreshing, but stale, not genuine, but artificial.

The only cure for my Saturday morning breakfast was to start over with a new batch. Sometimes that is the only cure for our hearts - to ask God to remove whatever isn't pleasing to Him. He is always gracious and ready to fill our hearts with His goodness. His Word promises He can!

Image result for create in me a clean heart"

Just like a fresh, warm, fluffy pancake, God delights to fill us with all of His goodness! 

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