Leftover "Mexican" Shepherd's Pie------------The Price

The Food Stuffs:

Prep:

I'm a big fan of not wasting food, so I try to get creative with leftovers. The components of a shepherd's pie are all things I tend to have leftover, so this was a convenient, fun (and tasty) experiment. You just need a pie tin or another small baking dish. If you don't have leftovers of any of the components, make them fresh. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. All measurements are approximate.

Ingredients:

-1 Soft Tortilla-2 Cups Taco meat

-1/2 Cup Corn

-1 Cup Spaghetti Sauce

-1/4 Cup Taco Sauce
-2 Cups Mashed potatoes-Garlic-Salt-Pepper-Shredded Cheese (Try Cheddar or a Mexican Blend)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Grease your pan and lay the tortilla in it.

2. Spread the taco meat and corn on the tortilla evenly.

3. Mix spaghetti and taco sauce together and then pour over meat and corn mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Spread the potatoes over the dish as evenly as possible.

5. Season the dish according to your sense of smell.

6. Bake for about fifteen minutes to warm ingredients.

7. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until the cheese is melted.  

Mmm..... 

Thoughts on the Price

Paul refers to a price in 1 Corinthians 7:23. He speaks of the price that Christ paid for us on the cross. The price is separation from God, taking on the sins of the world, and dying on the cross. We are reminded by Paul in this passage that “you were bought with a price, do not become slaves of human beings.” 

We also pay a price in dying with Christ to live in Him. Philippians 3:8 says: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

Following Christ is worth every cost on this earth. And yet...we have a price. 

I've found, anyway, that I have a price that I tend to count and agonize over when it comes to surrendering everything and following Christ. It seems that a lot of people I love do too.

Remember the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18. You probably know it. A young guy approaches Jesus desiring to have eternal life. He says that he has kept the commandments. This guy appears to be earnest in his desire to get to heaven. But Jesus tells him he has to sell everything he owns and then follow Him. The price is too high for the guy, so he walks away sad.

For him, the price was worldly possessions. For me, I hate to give up the feeling of being in control. When following Christ requires that I not be in control, it makes me a little antsy. Saying that God should be in control, that He is perfect, that my life isn't my own anyway....yeah, those things help...a little.

When it comes down to it, I still subversively try to have some semblance of the feeling that "I've got it." It might be that I've got it figured out, when I'm really just filling in the blanks to make myself feel better. Or, it might be refusing to share emotions with others because I don't want my feelings to be out of my realm of influence...and its easy to guise such guardedness as introversion, shyness, or a lack of time and deep relationships. Even simple things like when activities occur (ask my husband) have to be on my clock, or it makes me anxious. 

You probably have a different price. It might be that you have a disdain for displeasing others, even if it's Godly. Maybe you cannot stand to feel as though you've failed, or aren't important, or are wasting time by spending simple, relaxed hours with others. There are so many different prices we set.

It makes sense. Look at the way our lives work in this world. Everything has a price. Value is attached to all things -your personality, your skills, what you do, what you own, how you spend your time. Yet none of these things will qualify you for heaven. More than that, none of these things, no matter what they are worth on earth, cost too much for Jesus.

What's your price? He's got it covered. He already paid. It's already His. Would you rob Jesus of what is rightfully His? I know I try. When I have to surrender control, I try to justify keeping it for Christ. And sometimes I probably mean well by it. The fact it is that control is already his. Success, relationships, money, time, emotions...all of these are already His. 

The price has been paid for me. He has gained all things. So, I can and I should just let it go.