Folding in the Flour - by guest author Pastor Jeromy Connell

Do you recognize the photo in this article? Well, if you grew up in my neck of the woods, not only would you recognize this as a flour sifter, but you would probably have immediate flashbacks of the cramped hands that come with the use of this age-old cookin' device! Today let us consider it's purpose & how it relates to our daily walk with Christ. The main use for this device is two fold. First, it is used to remove clumps & debris from the flour to be used in cooking. Second, it adds air to the flour, making it fluffier for making breads or pastries. So how does that have anything to do with our Christian walk? Allow me to explain.

My grandmother (or as I referred to her, Mawmaw) was a perfectionist in the kitchen. Her passion was cooking....thus my excuse for the belly I sport today! She used a sifter to make sure the flour she used was just right, to deliver perfect texture in her pastries and desserts, so they would be pleasing to the palet. If we would only do what the flour sifter does to the flour, and begin to sift thru the many ingredients that make up the recipe of our lives! Then surely we would be more pleasing to others around us and more importantly, to the God we serve. In Matthew 7:3, we learn the importance of removing the plank from our own eye before pointing out the speck in our brother's eye. I challenge you to sift through your pile of flour and clean up your life, rather than sifting through the ingredients in others' kitchens.

Folding in the flour, Pastor Jeromy

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?"