Jesus AND… Coffee? {Holiday Portion Control}

Holidays are fast approaching and here comes the… FOOD!  Now if you are one that has a t-shirt, a kitchen sign, or a mug with this slogan, "All I need is a little coffee and a whole lot of Jesus," please know I am not guilting you in any way...yet, that is exactly what our culture is doing with our relationship with Jesus.  It is slyly telling us that Jesus needs more to complete us.  Jesus isn’t enough.  We need Jesus, AND.
 
Psalm 16:5
LORD, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.
 
Psalm 16:5 has been washing over me for a few weeks.  Don’t get me wrong, I love me some creamer with a little coffee in the mornings;). The idea and fun-loving spirit of this slogan can be harmless at first sight.  But, trust me- that coffee is not what gets me going or keeps me moving throughout the day.  The LORD is my portion and my cup of blessing.
 
Portion… what does that word tell us?  Usually you think of diets and “portion control”; or you think of your favorite food on Thanksgiving or Christmas day- when you hear the word, portion.  The huge scoop of mashed potatoes you plop right next to the mound of turkey, ham, and green beans on your dinner plate- as your family gathers around the table.  Portion control is out the window on those special days.  It is impressive to “watch the show” as my husband puts it, as he and his brother put the food down! The word portion typically means part of a whole… or dividing something up into sections.  Psalm 16:5 makes it clear Jesus can't be divided.  He is our portion and cup of blessing.  He holds our future.  There is no Jesus, AND… but simply, Jesus.
 
Our culture is not our portion. 
Our culture is always saying we are not good enough… and guess what?!  They're right, we are NOT good enough! From parenting magazines, to home improvement shows… nothing in my life is “Picture perfect.”  NOTHING.
 
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
 
HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR US!  We will never be good enough, but Jesus is enough.  HE is ALL we need.
 
Our kids are not our portion.

Our kids don’t always love us back how we know they should. 
…For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 2 Corinthians 12:14-15
 
We have two extremes in our country when we view kids.  On one hand, some think of children as a burden… look at the issues we have with abortion.  Kids are an annoyance, nice to have when we want them, but when life pulls at us, they get pushed to the backburner.
 
OR… we put them on pedestals and have them in every sport, or extracurricular activity possible to push them to be the best they can be… People are not meant for pedestals.  Cake.  Cake is meant for pedestals.  Kids are not cake.  When they fail, some parents act like their world is falling apart.  No one is meant to be worshiped.  No one, besides the Son of the Living God can handle it.  Because they WILL fall short.  They are not perfect.  Our privilege as parents is to love them anyway.  Unconditionally, without hesitation or reservation, just like Jesus loves us.
Our kids are not our portion.
 
Our bodies are not our portion.
Our bodies get tired, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Do you ever get grouchy?  I do!!  With sinus headaches, exhaustion, and our over stimulated culture… our bodies pay for it.  Yes, diets and exercise are great, but come on… many times we spend more opportunities speaking with people on social media or face to face conversations about the newest and the best weight loss plan, drink, or gadget instead of, Jesus. 
 
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
 
One day our bodies are going to fail us.  We will all die, PRAISE THE LORD!  And we get to go home to see Jesus.  The ONLY thing that lasts is the WORD of God.  He is enough.
 
Our bodies are not our portion.
 
JESUS IS OUR PORTION.
 
The only lasting portion we can give people is a genuine love through Jesus. 
·       Daily spend time with Him in the WORD.
·       Pray for the people in our sphere of influence and beyond.
·       Hold the WORD of God high no matter what the culture around us says.
·       Remember, Jesus is much more than we realize.  He is all we need.
So, as you go through this holiday season mounding up the huge portions of food on your plate or “watching the show”- remember, Jesus is our portion.  It is not Jesus, AND… but simply, Jesus.  Enjoy His blessings, HIS grace and love for us, but don’t buy into the sly ideology of Jesus, AND.
 
LORD, you are my portion & my cup of blessing; you hold my future. ~Psalm 16:5
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