2-1-2023
Chicken Pot Pie Christianity
You’re probably looking at the title of this post and thinking, “I’m pretty sure Chuck has lost it. I was concerned before, but this title pretty much seals the deal.” Before you go all in on that, let me share something with you and then you can decide if I’ve lost it or not.
When we consider Christianity, it’s important to understand that Jesus is inviting us into a Chicken Pot Pie relationship, and not a TV Dinner one. Let me explain. The world you and I live in is filled with choices and options. We can choose what we want and leave out the rest. Go to a buffet for dinner? You can peruse the offerings and choose the items that best satisfy your taste buds and leave everything else for someone else to enjoy.
Now, allow me to translate that to Christianity using the difference between a TV dinner (remember those?) and a chicken pot pie. In a TV dinner the food comes in individual compartments. That means, you can devour the turkey and potatoes and gravy, but completely avoid the brussel sprouts because they’re from the devil (apologies to those of you who love brussel sprouts). In the same way we can easily break our lives into their own distinct compartments. You’ve got a compartment for family, a compartment for work, a compartment for friends, a compartment for hobbies…..you get the idea. The tendency, however, is to also have a compartment for spiritual beliefs.
In this configuration, you could have strong spiritual beliefs that come out on Sundays but they really don’t mix naturally with the other parts of your life. Spiritual beliefs and work? Spiritual beliefs and friends? The problem with this model is that Jesus is not just interested in your spiritual life, He is interested in the whole of your life. With a TV dinner, everything is compartmentalized. But with chicken pot pie, all of the food is mixed together so there is no picking and choosing. The chicken, the gravy, the peas and carrots (and God forbid, brussel sprouts) are all together in every bite whether you like it or not.
The same is true with our walk with God. He invites you and me into a relationship with Him that touches every part of our lives. No more compartments when it comes to a relationship with God. He’s not inviting us to pick and choose. He’s inviting us to go all in. Jesus’ younger brother, James, wrote this:
So give yourselves completely to God. (James 4:7, NIV)
Not just Sundays, not just your quiet time, not just your family, not just your work……go all in. Give yourself completely. Or, to put it another way, give Him the entire pot pie of your life!
So, have I lost it? Maybe, but not here……..and when you give Him the pot pie of your life, make it the best pot pie imaginable!! (Now that you’re hungry, go ahead…..have a pot pie!)