Do you like to cook? I love to cook when I have the time to cook. I don’t care for cooking when I have to throw something together quickly. Any cook will tell you there are two compliments you always love to receive: 1. A clean plate, and 2. “May I have that recipe?”
My daughter’s best friend, Bekah, came over this week for one last sleepover before school starts. I spent all morning working, so I decided to take the afternoon off and hang out with the girls. I had a relaxing afternoon with them filled with laughter and fun. When they decided to head to a friend’s house, I decided to head to the kitchen and start dinner. There was very little dinner conversation that night because everyone was too busy eating. I think everyone except me went back for a second helping. Bekah’s mother called the next day asking for the recipe and said Bekah couldn’t stop talking about how good it was.
I started thinking about the reaction to dinner and couldn’t help but wonder, why don’t we have that same reaction to encountering Jesus? Why aren’t we so captivated, we’re speechless or rendered to hushed tones at the very least? Why don’t we leave talking about it and telling those we encounter how good it was to the point they want to experience it themselves?
Matthew 4:23 says “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” He was on the move and encountering people at every turn. He blessed them and then they went out and told everyone they knew what happened. Remember the woman at the well? In John 4:28-30 we see her going through town telling everyone about how incredible Jesus was, to the point they followed her back to the well. Why don’t we do that today? Why don’t we run to others and tell them about Jesus? Why don’t we tell them of our personal encounters with Him?
Fear….fear keeps us from becoming all we’re called to be. We’re afraid of rejection, afraid of being made fun of, and afraid of failure. Faith is the opposite of fear. Hebrews 11:6 tells us “Without faith it is impossible to please God…”
If you’re not sharing Jesus with those around you, but you’d like to be, ask Him to increase your faith and give you boldness. You don’t have to stand on a street corner or in your break room at work and start preaching. Tell a friend something Jesus has done for you. When God answers a prayer, testify about it. Testimony builds excitement and strengthens our faith [Revelation 12:11]. You won’t just bless others, but you will be blessed as well.

Recipe I found for dinner: Grilled Flank Steak with Black Bean Salsa
1 lb. lean flank steak 1-2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh lime juice 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Score steak on one side by making shallow crisscross slashes with a sharp knife; rub garlic over steak. Brush with lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow meat to absorb flavors.

Salsa: 1 ear cooked corn, removed from cob ½ avocado, diced
1 cup black beans, drained 4 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. minced cilantro 1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Mix salsa ingredients and chill until ready to serve

Grill steak for 5 minutes on first side, flip and grill until well-browned on the outside and rare inside, about 7-8 minutes. Remove steak and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salsa. Enjoy and post one of your favorite recipes in the comments.