Are You Aging or Spoiling?

 

We had wine and a few different cheeses before our Thanksgiving dinner. It’s interesting that we age certain foods so that they reach their best potential, while many foods spoil after a relatively short period of time.

 

We are meant to age like a fine wine or cheese, and not spoil like last week’s milk. How do we bring this about? We create the proper conditions.

 

Wine and cheese are made under the guidance of someone experienced in the process. They have often devoted their whole lives to the work and many come from families who have been doing it for generations. They are trusted to know what is best. God knows everything about us. We can trust Him to guide us along the best path when we place our lives in His hands.

 

Wine and cheese are kept under strict temperature regulation. It’s true for us as well. We should never lose our cool. When we allow ourselves to remain angry over things that have happened to us, we run the risk of developing bitterness. Paul warns us, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:31). Just as certain additions add flavor to the final product, certain actions help us to age well. Paul goes on to say, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

 

Without getting too technical, an important part of making aged cheese is converting lactose to lactic acid. That same process causes milk to spoil. There is a corollary in life. The events in our lives, especially the difficult ones, can shape our outlook on life for better or worse. As a doctor, I’ve cared for people with severe health problems who had beautiful spirits. I’ve also taken care of people with problems that seemed much smaller who nonetheless let their problems sour them on life. 

 

Paul faced many trials in his ministry but he didn’t let them get him down. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). We know that a life beyond our imagination awaits us. In the meantime, we have faith that God will always be with us. That faith grows stronger as we experience God’s care for us.

 

Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. The master of the banquet tasted the wine and told the bridegroom that he “had saved the best until now”. God desires to make us into our best selves, if we are willing to cooperate with Him. May we allow Him to age us well.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.