For those who don't know, I'm an innkeeper for a bed and breakfast. I love my job because I love to cook! One of the dishes I often prepare is a baked oatmeal dish that happens to be a house favorite. I got the recipe from one of my guests, who said she got it from an inn located in Pennsylvania. According to my guest, this inn would make a big batch and then reheat it as needed for guests. I'll say that I've had it reheated and it really is quite tasty the second time around... still, I can't bring myself to serve leftovers to my guests.
It just seems to me that my guests deserve my best and, while the baked oatmeal is perfectly fine reheated, it isn't fresh... it isn't my best. And so, I save the leftovers for myself and cook up a fresh batch. I do this even if I just made it the day before and I have a new guest who wouldn't suspect it was left over. I would know that it is leftover and that isn't good enough.
Recently, I read a devotional that challenged me to consider: Am I feeding Jesus my leftovers? And more importantly, am I feeding Jesus my leftovers while I feast on the best morsels myself? I have looked back and evaluated my time and how I've spent it. There are many days when I have plenty of time to "do as I please" because there isn't anything scheduled in my day. (I don't mean that I have nothing that needs to be done, just that there isn't a specific time schedule for completing the task, or a specific place to be at a specific time.) So often I find myself playing on the computer or watching TV... things that are not bad, but things that are not (or at least shouldn't be) big priorities in my life. I realize on some days that I've not bothered to spend even a few minutes in prayer, or studying my Bible, or doing anything that would give me the opportunity to spend time with Jesus, whom I claim to love.
It has been said that if you want to get to know someone better you should spend time with them. Not just a moment here or there, but quality time that allows for communication and growth of the relationship. If I really want to be like Jesus in the way I live my day to day life, I have to spend time with Him... and not just the time that is "left over" after I've done everything I want/need to do. He wants my first fruits. He deserves my first fruits!
Lord, forgive me for giving you what is left of my day. Sadly some days that means you get nothing. I want to place you first in my life, not last. Help me to find self-discipline in this area so that I can know you and love you more fully.
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