What type of doughnut are you?
Gary Gibbs suggests that the different varieties of sweet treats help demonstrate how we feel about life.
So, here’s a question: given a choice of doughnuts, would you choose a Krispy Kreme ring doughnut or a supermarket brand jam-filled one?
Your answer to the above survey says so much about you as a person, but that’s for another day, or a future issue of Direction.
Just for now, here’s another question: in doughnut terms, are you more Krispy Kreme ring or jam-filled Morrisons?
You see, ring doughnuts can look really great and very attractive, especially when they have been topped with icing and sparkly decorations. But the truth is that there is nothing at the centre, just a big hole.
In contrast, a bog-standard doughnut looks quite mundane and average on the outside, but at its core is something really good.
In a sense, we are all ‘doughnuts for Jesus’.
The challenge is to ensure that there is something, or someone, substantial in the centre.
Many of us can remember a specific time and place when we first decided to follow Jesus. Others tell a story of how, over a period of time, the Lord became real in their experience.
Either way, the Spirit of Jesus came into our lives. It was as if we were injected and filled up with a sweet love, grace and power which came from the divine hand of God.
Sadly, for some of us, the stuff of life, the stresses and strains, the knocks and bruises and sometimes the bad choices we make can leave us empty and feeling as if there’s a void in our lives.
Even worse, we can end up with sour, congealed hearts where the wonderful Holy Spirit once dominated.
No longer empty, but filled with negativity, unbelief and a sense of hopelessness.
Some years ago I was leading a schools mission in the north of England. Lots of unchurched teenagers were coming to faith and in the evening meetings, Jesus was healing sick people.
The local church leaders were unhappy with the signs and wonders because they didn’t believe that the Lord did such things today.
In truth, I began to feel angry and bitter towards these people.
The following morning I read these words: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” (Proverbs 4:23).
God showed me in those moments that this was the most vital thing for me to do; to keep the core of my being guarded, ensuring that I didn’t empty out all the good which God had invested into my centre.
What’s more, he didn’t want me to allow bad attitudes and temperaments born out of my sinful nature to replace the fruit of the Spirit which had grown in my life.
My encouragement to each one of us is to let the Holy Spirit constantly fill our centre with his goodness, love, power and purity; essentially, with his sweetness.
If we do this, then wonderful, brilliant and godly attitudes, words and actions will be manifested through us.
We might all be doughnuts for the Lord, but let’s all be jam-filled, not empty rings. Amen?
First published in the February 2022 issue of Direction, Elim’s monthly magazine. Subscribe now to get Direction delivered to your home.
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