The best flavors are produced naturally

  • By Rev. Grant Parkki
  • Thursday, February 26, 2015 5:54pm
  • LifeCommunity

Sometime in the last couple of years I discovered that I prefer soda made with real sugar. Up to that point, beyond the guilty feeling that it was incredibly unhealthy, I was not accustomed to thinking much about the contents of my favorite soda. Then, unexpectedly, the soft drink industry (seemingly all at once) began marketing alternatives to famous name sodas made with sugar as opposed to the much more ubiquitous corn syrup. Because I’m a bit of a sucker for new things, I gave them a try, and I realized that I could notice a significant difference between the sugar and corn syrup versions of my favorite soda. It’s amazing how one subtle change can leave such a huge difference in a flavor.

A great taste will leave a lasting memory, and a strong desire to experience it again. A bad taste can also leave a lasting memory, as anyone who has ever discovered the expiration of date of their milk the hard way can attest.

Our lives can also have a flavor — a lingering effect that can stay in the hearts of all those we come in contact with. Just like our sense of taste can immediately detect a flavor, the impression we leave on the lives around us is often both immediate and long-lasting. So, of course, we try hard to manufacture the right flavor. We try to manage exterior factors like our conversational skills and our appearance to try to leave the right first (or second or third) impression. As many food companies are now discovering, however, the best flavors are the ones that are produced naturally.

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul talks about the flavor that we should be producing in our lives: Fruit of the Spirit. The Book of Galatians is a letter Paul wrote to directly address some problems that he observed in the community of believers there. As Paul was unraveling and confronting the drama in the church, he wrote “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:22-26)

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all are fruit: the natural result of a life lived by the Spirit — a life submitted to God and allowing Him to work inside of us. When we try to imitate these flavors, it comes off as artificial, like cherry-flavored candy as opposed to actual cherries. People can sense fake kindness as quickly as we can sense the difference between sugar and corn syrup.

Rather than trying to manufacture the right flavor in our lives, let’s try to cultivate the right fruit. I’d like to invite you to invest in your relationship with God, and know that his Spirit can create a perfect flavor in and through us!

 

Rev. Grant Parkki is the Christian Education Associate Pastor at Kenai New Life. Kenai New Life is located at 209 Princess Street in Kenai, with Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., with programs for children, youth, and adults at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings. You can find out more about the church and its ministries at kenainewlife.org.

More in Life

File
Minister’s Message: Experience the abundant life Jesus has for you

Life of all forms is definitely abundant in most parts of the world.

Historic Elwell Lodge Guest Cabin is seen at its new spot near the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor Center. (USWS)
An enduring legacy — Kenai National Wildlife Refuge cabins

A tremendous wealth of our local history is captured in one unique, entertaining work.

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
Life in the Pedestrian Lane: Survival skills

We compensate all our lives for one thing or another.

tease
Off the shelf: Time and space and the human heart

Contemporary novel combines historical and science fiction for a gripping, emotional journey.

Mary L. Penney, one of only two women known to have joined the Kings County Mining Company’s 1898 expedition to the gold fields of Alaska. (Photo courtesy of the Penney Family Collection)
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska adventure — Part 2

When Mary was 14, she found herself in the company of a “young matron” who was about to give birth.

These pinto beans and rice only take about 10 minutes of hands-on work before they are stewed for about 12 hours in a cooking pot. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A complete meal for when you’re pinching pennies

My mother always kept a large tub of rice and beans, provisions she called “struggle food.”

Emerson Kapp and Elias Bouschor rehearse “Our Town” in the Soldotna High School Auditorium in Soldotna, Alaska, on Friday, April 18, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Ordinary moments find meaning in ‘Our Town’

Soldotna High School stages classic drama in pared down production.

The Triumvirate Theatre stands in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A return to stage

Triumvirate Theatre debuts new performance space.

This takeout favorite is deceptively easy and comes together faster than it can be delivered. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A sweet and sour dinner for 3

I really wanted some sweet and sour takeout this weekend, but all my favorite restaurants are far outside of delivery range.

Most Read