Soft or hard boiled?

I took my granddaughter with me when I went to Hobby Lobby and she convinced me to buy a couple of egg dying kits. I usually color eggs with the local grandchildren, but wait until the last minute to purchase a coloring kit. By then all the good ones are gone, and we end up with the kit that has the colored discs that dissolve in water. We draw pictures with crayon and use stickers, add lace and ribbon, but every year they moan that I did not plan ahead. So, thanks to Olivia, I am ready!

Dye kits led me to thinking about the eggs. You don’t color raw eggs; you boil them first. Raw eggs are too fragile to endure the grandchildren (and grandmother) coloring process!

Philippians 3:13 states: “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind, I strain toward what is ahead.” This passage is all about change. The eggs have to change in order for them to be suitable to color. We have to change to be suitable for what is ahead.

There are Christians who never seem to get beyond a certain stage in their relationship with Christ (they remain soft-boiled). At some point they must subconsciously think, “this is enough,” and feel they are as good as they are going to get.

They consider themselves mature Christians. They fall away from Bible study. Praying happens less often and is less intense. Fellowship is okay if they have time. And then out comes the egg dye and the soft-boiled Christian has not taken enough heat in the walk with Christ to be changed into what is needed for this new role. Suddenly he flounders. “Where is God when I need him,” he shouts. “Why isn’t God helping me deal with this crisis?”

We expect our children to grow. We expect the newborn will learn to crawl and then walk. Someday the wee one who eats with his hands will learn to use a spoon and get food into his mouth. We cheer progress in our children. We worry when it does not happen. We expect growth in our children and yet we are content to remain babes-in-Christ.

Don’t find yourself a soft-boiled egg when the dye of life shows up. Don’t limit your growth in Christ. He knows what your future is and He is willing to prepare you for it, but you need to do your part. A child does not learn to walk by sitting on the floor. A Christian does not grow without Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians.

Maturity takes practice. It takes work. And it takes time. But the end result, that tray of beautiful eggs with intact shells, is worth the work. So is growth in Christ!

Have a blessed week. Consume the scriptures and grow! Regina