Monthly Archives: February 2018

The Apostle of Chocolate

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“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

Taking a break from the winter cold of the North Carolina mountains, my wife and I spent last week vacationing in Cozumel, Mexico. As I reminisced on our flight home about all that we saw and experienced there, I began to consider which of those memories I might draw upon for my next post.

Certainly, we were greatly inspired by the beauty of God’s creation that was displayed everywhere we went – from the crystal clear teal-blue waters of the Caribbean Sea between Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula to the unique flora and fauna on the island. And those incredible sunsets God painted for us to view from our villa captured my attention each night!

But the experience that kept coming to mind as I pondered this post – the experience that looms largest in relation to the Gospel I proclaim – was our tour of the Kaokao Chocolate Factory in Cozumel. Allow me to explain…

As the only male among our group of six, I was probably the least excited about this tour. But any disinterest I might have felt beforehand was quickly dispelled by the passion of our tour guide, Eduardo. Whatever his official job title might have been, in my mind he should be called the Apostle of Chocolate.

Eduardo (Photo by Sallye Martin)

Eduardo’s knowledge of all things chocolate is undeniable and his enthusiasm is contagious. He shared with us the history of chocolate, from the Olmec people to the Mayans to the Spanish. At his direction, we donned aprons and chef’s hats, ground the cacao seeds, mixed in various ingredients, and molded our own chocolate bars. We sampled more than twenty flavors of chocolate manufactured at the facility.

He engaged with us personally, responding to every question we posed, seemingly never rushing his answers to make way for the next group. By the end of the tour, Eduardo’s passion had become my passion. Rather than being glad the tour was over, I had a desire to know even more about chocolate.

As I reflected on all that, the verse from 1 Peter that heads this post came immediately to mind:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

Eduardo is always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks him anything about chocolate. And his passion for the subject has surely generated many inquiries through the years.

I can’t help but wonder what the impact would be if more Christians echoed the same kind of passion for the Gospel when they interact with those outside the faith. More importantly, what if I did? The thought that I have the opportunity to make an impact for Christ with the way I reflect him astounds me and convicts me at the same time.

To generate those questions about hope implied by Peter’s words, people must first see that hope in us. While I trust that passion comes through in my writing and in my interactions with fellow believers, the scarcity of such questions being posed to me suggests that it doesn’t always come through in my interactions with unbelievers.

May that change going forward. And when it does, I’ll think of Eduardo, Cozumel’s Apostle of Chocolate, and smile.

“What others most need is to see in you a reflection of what God is like and of the transforming power of the Gospel. Your life can create hunger and thirst for God in others’ lives and can be a powerful instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit to draw their hearts to Christ.” – Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Holiness, The Heart God Purifies

 

On The Other Hand

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“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. … What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:18, 24)

Dr. Charles Stanley once used an illustration that has stuck with me through the years. I have cited it often in lessons I’ve taught and was reminded of it again last week when my morning devotion brought me to Romans chapters 7 and 8.

Hold your hands out in front of you, putting one in front of the other, focusing intently on the hand nearest you. Notice how the other hand subtly fades from view in your mind.

Now imagine that one hand represents your circumstances, while the other hand represents the promises of God. Do you see where I’m going with this?

In the midst of life’s inevitable difficulties, disappointments, pain, and struggles, we can easily allow life’s circumstances to cloud our view of God’s promises. When you find yourself in that situation, it is important to figuratively change the position of your hands, view your circumstances through the lens of God’s promises, and watch the gravity of those circumstances fade in comparison.

There may be no better Biblical example of that dynamic than that provided by Paul in chapters 7 and 8 of Romans.

In chapter 7, Paul’s focus turns to his personal struggles with sin, lamenting that “nothing good lives in me” – that while he desires to do good, he often finds himself doing otherwise. (verse 18-19) While all of us can relate to those internal battles with the flesh, other circumstances often capture our focus as well – such as the loss of a loved one, a life-threatening illness, or the loss of a job – to name just a few.

Any of those situations can lead us to cry out with Paul in verse 24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” But notice how Paul’s focus abruptly turns to the promises of God, answering his own question in verse 25, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In chapter 8, Paul then proceeds to enumerate five (one for each finger) of the most profound promises of God contained in all of Scripture:

  • “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1)
  • “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:16-17)
  • “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
  • “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
  • “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

I encourage you to highlight these five verses in your Bible. And the next time life’s inevitable circumstances start to divert your focus to the wrong hand, allow the Spirit of God to redirect your gaze to these uplifting, unchanging, and unbreakable promises on the other hand.

You’ll be glad you did.

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” – Corrie ten Boom

(All Scripture references taken from The New International Version, NIV)