The Cake

 

“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

I can’t think of a better example of things working together for good than a cake! My mother taught me at age five to bake a “Crazy Cake”—everything dumped in together and mixed up—and I have always loved chocolate cake.

Recently, I read a paragraph written by Elizabeth George ¹, in which she likened our lives in Christ to a cake. Flour comprises the largest volume of ingredients. And, like life, most of our days seem rather tasteless—ho hum, all quite ordinary. Some events of our lives simply taste raw, like eggs, but act as a necessary ingredient, nevertheless. Sometimes bitter experiences come our way. But, like bitter chocolate, these experiences give some of the best flavor.

The sour circumstances, like buttermilk in a cake, give life a slight tang that enriches. Of course, no cake would taste right without the sweet element of sugar. And, if you’re like me, the sugary frosting made into roses gives the most joy. The sweet elements of life, while we like them the best, can’t make up the entire “cake”—and life certainly isn’t all roses!

Once we gather all the ingredients, they must be mixed together in the right quantities—just as our Heavenly Father knows exactly the correct measure of each ingredient for our growth in His grace. Then, He knows whether to “fold in” the components, or to “stir,” or “whip.” them. Most of the time, we know that “beating” works the best.

We may think He must be done once the beating has ceased, only to find that He places us in a hot oven and leaves us for the prescribed amount of time.

Where do you find yourself in the completion of your “cake of life”? Philippians 1:6 tells us that:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

Take heart! God is creating a wonderful, “tasty” masterpiece, fit for a King, and He will most certainly complete it!

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1 George, Elizabeth, Becoming a Woman of Beauty and Strength. Harvest House: Eugene, OR, 2001. p. 97.