photo credit: I Believe I Can Fry Red Chicken Enchiladas via photopin (license)
Food for the Body
Chicken Enchiladas (Recipe by Renee Colbert)
4 (3 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 soft tortillas
1 c. enchilada sauce
2 c. onions, chopped
1 ½ c. Cheddar cheese, grated
4 Tbsp. sour cream
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 ¼ c. chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut chicken and brown in skillet with cooking spray. Add onion. Cook 5 minutes until browned. Set aside. In mixing bowl, combine sour cream and mayonnaise. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Pour into saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Blend in 1 cup shredded cheese. Set aside. Dip tortillas in enchilada sauce. Fill with chicken, onion, and cheese. Roll; place in sprayed cooking dish. Top with cheese. Pour sauce over the enchiladas. Cook uncovered 20 – 25 minutes.
A Prayer for God’s Blessing
Loving Father in heaven,
You are forever worthy of all my love and devoted service. I confess I sometimes allow the privilege of serving You to become burdensome. Thank You for the immense honor of helping You accomplish Your plans in this world. Please cultivate my love for You and cause my service to flow freely from my heart. In Jesus’ worthy name, Amen.
Food for the Soul
Truthfully speaking, cooking day-in and day-out wearies me from time to time. Juggling other responsibilities with making meals usually causes me to wonder at 5 pm, “What am I going to prepare for dinner?” After deciding, my family and I eventually sit down to eat.
Cooking involves a particular joy, however, when motivated by love. Such was the case when I cooked chicken enchiladas for my eldest son’s last family dinner before his freshman year of college. He’s pleased every time I serve this dish, which satisfies his palate and stretches a huge smile across his face. I’ll gladly dish it up for years to come because I. Love. My son.
Isn’t it curiously wonderful how love inspires us? Genuine love creates a desire to share freely instead of cling selfishly … to sincerely serve rather than wait to be served … to fully open our hearts and delight in the one we love. Convinced of another’s value and worth, we joyfully give—in love.
Mark 12:30 clearly reveals God’s priority for us: “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” Through the years, I’ve prayed this verse for my children. It composes my strongest desire for each of them. God also has emphasized its truth to me—that my every thought, word, and deed be motivated by His love.
When it comes to serving the Lord, various motivations exist. Do we work for Him out of obligation? Do we carry the burden and guilt of never doing enough? Do we sigh with weariness and dread Christian responsibilities? If any of these possibilities stimulate our service, we’re traveling on the wrong track.
Authentic service stems from love for Christ—a joyful overflow of intimate relationship with Him (click to tweet).
Now, this doesn’t mean service always flows easily. Often it requires diligent work … but love should reside at its core. Serving the living God out of pure love for Him meshes with His heart. And from the beginning, God has been seeking our hearts.
Colossians 3: 23–24 reads, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
Friends, we’re amazingly privileged to serve the Most High God, the only true God. His plans sometimes confound us, His ways often exceed our understanding, and His wisdom constantly surpasses our most excellent endeavors. Yet He chooses to use us, and additionally, He rewards us!
Instead of trudging the burdened route, let’s lovingly serve our awesome God. Just as chicken enchiladas ensure success in the dinner department…
Our love for God + Our service for God = Spiritual Success (click to tweet).
Until next time, that’s a Recipe for Life…
Note: CLICK HERE to download Renee’s recipe for chicken enchiladas.
