The Secret Sauce for Happiness in the Home

The secret sauce of happiness in the home is a recipe well worth rediscovering.

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What is this secret sauce that really kicks in the life-giving flavor?

Answer: Playing with your family.

In a world full of scientific equations and mathematical formulas, you might not have thought to add “play” to your to-do list.

Add it anyway.

What do I mean by “play”? And is “play" biblical?

By “play” I simply mean to recreate. Except, I add a hyphen: re-create. Christians are called to re-create a world-gone-mad into a world of salt and light, that is, a place where goodness and beauty shine, where righteousness rules and reigns under the Lordship of King Jesus.

How do we do that? Seems fairly daunting, huh?

Let’s look at three key ingredients--one this week and two later on.

Eat with your family.

The Bible is full of feasting. Yes, there is fasting. But boy, howdy, “Jesus came eating and drinking” (Lk. 7:34). In fact, as one author pointed out, in much of Luke’s Gospel Jesus is “eating a meal, going to a meal, or coming from a meal.” That’s a heck of a lot of meals. And this was no accident. Jesus deliberately feasted.

Have you ever noticed how much airtime food gets in the Bible? It’s no wonder the Apostle Paul would feel the need to say, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Food matters. And yes, you can do it for the glory of God. In fact, you must do it for the glory of God.

The question is: Do you?

At a time in history when we, well, never seem to have the time, it’s good to make time to eat—to fix a meal, eat a meal, and enjoy a meal, especially and most notably with your family. Plates and forks and napkins are good reminders, even in a dog-eat-dog world, that I am not a machine. I am not a robot.

Nor am I God, without need of food and drink.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine,” says the Lord (Psalm 50:12).

As humans—finite creatures—we must eat. And this need to eat is a gift from our Creator. Did I mention that the Chief Chef has cooked up some pretty fabulous flavors, all for our enjoyment?

It’s not surprising then that Jesus came “eating and drinking.” The God-Man, Son of Man, surely knew how to identify with his people. And this feasting and fellowshipping must have left an indelible mark on Jesus' early disciples. After all, almost immediately after the Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost, what do we see?

Answer: God’s people eating together. And why not?

There is something truly special about feasting as family. In truth we usually skip meals when we are anxious or fretful. “I’m just not feeling very hungry today,” we say. Our tummy may not be churning, but our mind is—mostly with worry.

Yet even Jesus ate a meal on the very night he was betrayed. And he knew it was coming. And yet he didn’t skip supper due to sorrow.

And in most cases, I would argue, neither should we.

Eat to the glory of God. Start in your home. Sit down at the dinner table. Feast with your spouse and sons and daughters. Let smiles abound, as far as the curse is found.

Next up in our Secret Sauce Series: Laughter and Living in Light of Hope