the icing on the cake

In my life I have a lot of icing...

A great loving family.
An incredible husband.
3 (and a 1/2) awesome kids.
My health and the health of my family.
Loyal friends who "get" me.
A comfortable home.
And just about all the accoutrements that I could ever want or need.

I don't worry about where my next meal is coming from.
I have plenty of clothes to wear, appropriate for all weather.
I can take my children to the doctor anytime they need it.
I don't have to choose between feeding my children or paying my bills.

I even get icing on top of the icing...

Reese eggs.
Good books to read.
My camera.
Vacations.
A comfy (paid for) van to drive around in.
Painted toenails.


But I was reminded by Lynn Cowell (Proverbs 31 ministries) during a recent conference that no matter how much icing I am blessed with in my life...It is no substitute for the cake.

Christ is my cake. My fulfillment. I find my completion in him. I find my identity in Him.

And he is good.

(After all, if the cake isn't any good...no amount of icing will satisfy.)

And this is what he thinks about me (about you)...

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The King is enthralled with your beauty; honor him for he is your Lord. Psalm 45:11

He will fill me up. (Ephesians 3:19)
He wants to satisfy my desires. (Psalm 103:5)
He is my treasure. (Job 22:5)

Sometimes I can just get so focused in on the icing that I forget about the cake. Good things: my husband, my children, my family...all very good things. But they are no substitute for the substance of my life. And if I let them define me then I am easily up or down depending on their behavior, my relationship with them at the moment.

But when I find that completion in Him, in Christ...the icing on the cake is that much sweeter.

And to carry that even further...the absence of icing doesn't rock my world because I am already filled up and am satisfied by the cake.

So, I encourage you today...are you focused on the icing (or lack of) in your life? Or on the cake.

Take some time to really ask yourself where you are finding your completion today. If it is not the cake...if it is not Christ...consider how he feels about you. How he longs for a relationship you.
And not just a boring life, but a satisfying, fulfilling, passionate, and purpose giving relationship!

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