Even though I know I’ll never find a better bowl than the one I blogged about yesterday, I did engage in some exploration of what’s out there in the land of Tupperware after my bowl broke.

I was concerned also that Tupperware had gone into voluntarily administration (or something like that) and no longer existed.

Nope, apparently still alive and well.

But yes, clearly I can be inconsistent with the best of them. Say one thing and then do another. I’m a human being.

Inconsistency is a consistent element of my existence.

There are times when God calls me to do something and I don’t do it. When this happens, I know that God will raise up someone else to do it, to my shame.

This is exactly what happens in the account of Deborah in the book of Judges. 

John C. Maxwell and his reflections of ‘Life Lessons from Deborah’ from his book, Learning from the Giants has some excellent reflections which are worthy of summary:

Be willing to stand out when others don’t expect it:

How often do we not step out to serve because of what others have said and the limitations they have placed upon us. ‘Don’t take on limitations that don’t belong to you.’

Be willing to speak out when God expects it:

Even when we have doubt or fear, God has promised he will provide for us. If he has called us he will equip us.

Be willing to step out when others depend on it:

“If you are a leader,” Deborah says, “you must step out when your people are depending on you.”

I of course, have never met Deborah, but I reckon she wasn’t so keen about going to war.

She, like me would probably much prefer the middle-class civility (and domesticity) of a 1980s style Tupperware Party. Or the ancient Jewish version of it, whatever that was.

I can’t imagine she was super keen to go out into battle.

But that’s the thing about a calling. It’s much easier to be inconsistent.

To say we’ll follow God and then take the easy path. I know it. I feel it.

Give me a Tupperware Party any day over a battle.

Take me to church for worship over a long-day slug out on mission.

And a whole day worship service is a good thing!

But there is a time and a season for all things under heaven.

Speaking of mission, it reminds me of one of our ‘Ten Commandments’ of Beach Mission:

‘Don’t let the good get in the way of the best.’

It’s very easy to have the appearance of doing something good and right and yet, in reality, be shirking our responsibilities.

The path of faith is a narrow one, Jesus said so. And in our world it’s so easy to be distracted by anything and everything all around us.

I know it. I feel it.

Again, this is why we need a fellowship around us.

Yours with the Tupperware website now closed,

Alison