10/12/2026
Faith In The Doing
I never thought about recipes when I was growing up. Somehow, Mom just took the ingredients, threw them in a pot or bowl, and a few hours later, supper was on the table. Everything was perfect, fresh, and timed flawlessly. Later, when it was time for my sisters and me to begin cooking, we learned that flawless was not effortless.
When we would ask her for a recipe, she had none, not even for her golden-brown, fluffy biscuits. She simply said that if we learned to cook by sight, smell, and taste, we would be able to prepare any meal. By the time we began families of our own, we had learned to cook without needing a collection of recipes.
Dad was a good sport through those early lessons, even when it meant suffering through baked bean casseroles and other odd creations. I imagine some of those meals were easier to swallow than others. Yet he endured them with a smile as we learned our way around the kitchen. Our brothers, however, were not always quite so kind in their reviews!
Of course, we survived those early experiments, and eventually our cooking skills improved. With a little practice, a willingness to try, and the confidence to keep going, we began to discover that we really could do this. Those early kitchen adventures taught us more than how to put a meal on the table.
Mom had her own way of teaching, without recipes, ingredient lists, or directions to follow. We watched her, trusted what she taught us, and learned by doing. The thing of it is, we would never have learned if we had never stepped into the kitchen and given it a try.
I think much of life is learned that way—without a recipe, through trial and error. We listen to the advice of others, watch how they handle things, and eventually find ourselves facing situations where we have to put what we have learned into practice. Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we try again. We learn by paying attention to what works and what doesn't.
Our faith is learned and lived out in much the same way. We can listen to sermons, read our Bibles, and learn from other Christians. Eventually, we have to live out what we have learned. We learn patience when someone tests it, forgiveness when we have been hurt, and kindness when it would be easier to walk away. According to Scripture, each of us is given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
As believers, we have a responsibility to nurture that faith by putting what we believe into practice. Paul encouraged Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. Our faith needs tending, too. As we live out what we believe, we give that faith room to grow.
Maybe that is one of the most important lessons we learn along the way. We can spend years listening, reading, and learning, but those lessons become part of us when we begin to live them. Just as Mom taught us to trust what we had learned in her kitchen, we can trust God's Word to guide us as we put our faith into practice.
We won't always get everything right the first time. Sometimes we will stumble, make mistakes, and need to try again. But we keep learning, growing, and putting one foot in front of the other. Faith, like cooking, is not just about knowing what to do. Faith comes with the doing.
God Bless you all!
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22
