Discipline and Diligence

“Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.” –Matthew 7:13-14, The Message

I have another Kraft recipe for you today. This one is good stuff! Here it is with my subtle modifications:

Beef & Peanut Stir-Fry

1 lb. beef sirloin steak
2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ c Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (A must! No substitutions here! This is yummy stuff. Kraft didn’t give me anything to say that or to tell about this recipe—I’m just freely sharing something I enjoy.)
1 16 oz. pkg. frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed and drained (Don’t miss that step—I almost did!)
¼ c unsalted dry roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 c hot cooked white rice

Slice the steak into strips. (Kraft suggests partially freezing the meat before slicing to make this step easier.) Place meat strips, garlic salt, and cornstarch in a zipper-type plastic bag. Shake to coat meat.

Heat dressing in a large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables. Cook and stir for 4 minutes.

Add meat. Cook and stir for 4-6 minutes until meat is cooked through. Add peanuts. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over rice.

Though I did love the way this recipe turned out and will definitely serve it again, it clashed dramatically with my personal cooking preferences. When I cook, I like to get something started, then go do something else—like read a book—while the stove or oven or electric skillet or crock pot does the work for me.

I couldn’t do that with this recipe. It demanded my full attention all the time. Add, stir, add, stir, stir, stir. I guess that’s why they call it stir fry. Once I started going, I had to watch attentively, stirring and flipping the vegetables and meat until I was certain that all was cooked through. If I’d gone to read a book, something would have burnt on one side while the other side remained uncooked.

Stir fry requires discipline and diligence.

So do a lot of other worthwhile things in life.

If I don’t run every day, or nearly every day, my muscles turn to mush.

If I don’t sweep my floors often, dust bunnies gather and threaten to take over the house. (And you thought I’d never met a bunny I didn’t like.)

And if I don’t talk with God often throughout every day, I don’t hear His Voice as clearly as I need to, wrong attitudes slip in, and I struggle more and with less confidence to live fully for Him. A growing relationship with God requires discipline and diligence, time in His Presence where He has our full attention. Add a Bible verse, stir it through your mind, add a prayer or two, stir, stir some more. Sit and focus on God's character and His Word. Stir, stir, stir all day. Then stir some more.

The effort is worth our while every time!

Father, thank You for things in life that teach us the importance of discipline and diligence. May they remind us to turn to You often throughout each and every day. Our relationship with You is priceless, the most worthwhile treasure we will ever know. Amen.