Menu Planning

At one time I was diligent about creating and sticking to a monthly. I would inventory my freezer at the end of the month and create a menu based on what meat I had on hand. I would then purchase whatever meat was on sale to use the next month.

Paul has often encouraged me to reinstate this practice because not only did I try to add a new recipe at least once a month, I was also able to spot and avoid any redundancies in the menu. When planning a whole month, or even a week at a time, I was much more careful not to have the same kind of meat too often, to vary the marinades I used on the meat, and to throw in fish or seafood more often. In short, I avoided cooking ruts.

Sometimes a planned menu of Spiritual disciplines can have the opposite effect. If I tell myself that I will follow a certain Bible reading plan, I am more likely to say that I have to get through this many verses or chapters to be done with my quiet time for the day.

I find that my attitude towards my quiet time is the best indicator to whether or not I am falling into a Spiritual rut. If I assess what needs to be read and sit down to read it so that I do not get behind or to catch up to where I should be, I open myself to Satan telling me that I am wasting my time, that I really want to be doing something else. On the other hand, when I ask God to guide me through the reading, I leave room for the Holy Spirit to teach me. My attitude is that of wanting to learn what God has for me, to apply His Word to my life. The “assigned” daily reading often seems too short when my spirit is in tune to the Holy Spirit while reading Scripture.

I am not discouraging a Bible reading plan. I find them helpful and sometimes necessary. But just like a menu planned a month in advance needs to be flexible enough to accommodate schedule changes, we must view a Bible reading plan as a tool, rather than a “set in stone” to-do list.