JESUS IS NOT A SIDEDISH
(8-minute read)
According to ChatGPT, “main courses are usually the centerpiece of the meal and can include dishes like roasted meats, grilled fish, poultry, or vegetarian options. They are often accompanied by side dishes like vegetables or starches but the main course itself refers to the main protein or substantial dish served”. People linger over the main course or the entrée as they call it in the US. Outside the US, however, entrée refers to starters or side dishes that are served before the main dish.
As in any relationship, there are obvious behaviours that demonstrate how important the relationship is to us. If Jesus is our main course everyday, we will make time for Him. It requires our total surrender and wholehearted devotion to Him. Thus, it’s been said, ‘If Jesus is not Lord of all in my life, He is not Lord at all!’
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 summarizes it this way, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”. Mark 12:30 also emphasizes that we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”.
This Commandment still stands as the Greatest Commandment for all believers. We cannot love God with all of our being, and still treat Him as a side dish. To have Jesus as our main course daily means that He alone is the main source of our sustenance.
There are 5 distinctive signs when we treat Jesus as a main course for the day:
JOY & DELIGHT
Biblical joy is not euphoria or extreme optimism but an enduring sense of hope centred on God alone. It keeps us from sinking into despair and emotional deadness. Any feelings of numb existence or disappointment will be dulled by a sense of joy. People can detect it in our interactions with them.
“I have told you this so that My Joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11).
“You have made know to me the paths of life; You will fill me with Joy in Your presence.” (Acts 2:28).
To someone anxious about their livelihood or well-being, the Holy Spirit may respond with a word of assurance from Scripture or give us an impression to show us what He sees about our situation. Such revelation keeps us joyfully buoyant in our spirit.
SUSTENANCE
Unless we stop progressing in life, we are all on a constant journey till the very end. Effective Christian living does not retreat from the world but moves toward people in love and truth. We mirror Christ who walked among people, touched the untouchable, and welcomed the outsider.
But to have spiritual well-being and health for the long haul, we need to have the right food for sustenance. A superficial understanding of the Bible is like reading the menu without actually experiencing the dishes it offers. We may rattle off the menu items like a pro yet remain malnourished for the lack of intake of all that the dishes offer. Similarly, when we read Scriptures literally without seeking the Holy Spirit's revelation, we can mistake information for transformation.
The wonderful news is that Jesus offers us an all-you-can-eat main course through constant dialogue with Him. This is His invitation: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22).
Particularly for those feeling anxious about the unique challenges of getting older, Isaiah 46:4 offers assures us that, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
STRENGTH & PERSEVERANCE
Relationship with God is never one-sided. It is an enabling relationship rooted in our identity as children of God. It is also a relationship that weather-proof us for internal and external storms and turmoil.
We can take the following inspirations from the apostle Paul who went through great suffering throughout his ministry:
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NLT).
“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11).
These are relational statements dependent on God, not positive thinking dependent on manipulating our thoughts. We can be sure that our relationship with God has the power to lift us out of any seasons of deadness and drought.
WISDOM
When we step into a delicate situation or a hard conversation, we need wisdom to know how to bring out God’s best outcomes - every time. This wisdom can only come from Jesus.
God gives all believers access to His wisdom anytime we need it. It comes from our intimacy with Him and a willingness to hold back from acting on the first instincts that are accessible to us. Instead, we choose to defer to His perspective of what’s before us. This comes from knowing that God’s wisdom is never stale, formulaic or hollow, but has the power to create new realities in any situation or relationship.
Colossians 2:3 [NLT] tell us that “In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
FAVOUR
Biblical favour is not an immunity against or a guarantee of a trouble-free life. That is just untenable. Rather, it is the unmerited goodwill and preferential treatment from people that comes to us when we are going through difficult times. It’s the feeling of standing in a torrential downpour but finding an umbrella over our heads to keep us dry. It is facing discrimination common to many but finding God-given favour in spite of the odds. It’s God’s approval when we feel unvalidated.
Let’s be real: God-given opportunities also come with inherent risks.
Psalm 84:11 describes the paradox this way: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does He withhold from those whose way of life is blameless.” Sunlight is beneficial but sun exposure is both beneficial but also harmful. So God is also the shield to protect us from the unfiltered heat radiating from the sun.
Do you recognize the Lord’s favour in your life right now? God is not fickle that His favour is sporadic and unpredictable. Whenever God shows you favour, ask Him to show you what He wants you to do to advance His goodness.
Three things we can do to ensure that Jesus remains the main course in our lives:
#1 Take Conscious Walks With Him Daily
Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs believers to constantly live out the Word of God, “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Be mindful of His active presence in your life.”
Whether you are an empty nester, a retiree who has stepped out of the workforce, someone who is sandwiched between two generations of dependents, or you’re stuck in a dead-end job, take conscious walks with Jesus every day. Even if you are a ‘small eater’, don’t skip the main course or replace it with side dishes. You will only deprive yourself of the resources to activate the Word of God in your life.
#2 Hold Onto A Deadweight Trust In Him Daily
Every day presents rich opportunities for us to trust God fully for His outcomes – whether it is for ourselves or for the people we pray for. Deadweight trust in God is not for the faint-hearted. We cannot say we trust God if we do not weigh up consequences, and we do not take any risks with Him. To have deadweight trust in God means we trust that God alone has the final say in spite of what the evidence shows.
#3 Live With Deep Gratitude For Him Daily
Jesus gave His all on the Cross for us not so that He would be treated as a side dish in our lives. Even when we lack clarity and there remains gaps between what we are experiencing and what our faith tells us, we can still be grateful that God is always accessible to us. Our steadfastness comes from this: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13).
God’s invisible yet steadfast presence in our lives juxtaposes against all the challenges before us. For this reason, we can thank Him for the ability to stand “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” because our struggle is really not against the schemes of flesh and blood but against spiritual forces hellbent on taking down humanity (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Therefore, God must not be our last resort or our backup plan. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
Finally, don’t live in a shell. Spend time with people whose lives are full of new victory stories. We become like the people we hang out with. Socializing with people whose main course is Jesus will transform our appetite for Him.
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 12 July 2025.
